Discussion. Discovery. Development. Deploy.
And it all starts with the idea, of course, and that’s why Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron has been researching a number of options for Mayor Denny Magruder and the six members of Council to consider.
Three cities in West Virginia allow golf carts on specific streets now, including Parkersburg, Nitro, and Eleanor, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail. The Village of Shadyside, too, allows for golf carts on local streets only with seat belts and child safety seats mandatory, according to a WTRF report.
“There’s been a little bit of work that’s been done on the neighborhood golf cart idea, and City Council has looked at what other communities have done,” Herron said. “They are interested in passing an ordinance which would permit golf carts on city streets with a maximum MPH for them. Our police department has taken a look at it, too, and they’re on board with it.
“So now, City Council will need to circle back to it after they’ve reviewed what other communities have done and figure out what they would like to do here,” he said. “They have to determine the best way to accomplish it in Wheeling.”
Herron has reviewed the regulations in place in Parkersburg, and he plans to recommend many of the same rules to Wheeling’s elected officials.
“I think the golf carts should be limited to just city roads because I doubt there’s any enabling legislation for state (or federal) roads,” Herron explained. “We have a lot of state and federal roadways in Wheeling, too, so the golf cart owners will likely be limited to their neighborhoods.
“There’s going to have to be a public information campaign about the Dos and Don’ts and what roadways are permitted for travel,” the city manager said. “So, City Council has a lot to consider while working on what fits best here.”
While Herron doesn’t expect the state Department of Motor Vehicles to be involved with the registration or inspection of the carts in the Friendly City,
“As far as what will be required with the golf carts, I would expect mandates for things like headlights, brake lights, but it’s my understanding that license plates are not required for golf cart programs like what City Council is reviewing right now,” Herron said. “They would likely need to be registered with the city; that’s what Parkersburg does.
“The driver of the golf carts will have to have a driver’s license,” he said. “From there, we’ll see what City Council wants to do.”
When & Where?
Former mayor Nick Sparachane is a resident of the Woodsdale area, a neighborhood that borders National Road and W.Va. Route 88, and he has been very supportive of the development of the golf cart ordinance.
In fact, on May 28th, Nick shared a LEDE News commentary that pertained to the notion of allowing golf cart drivers to navigate the streets of Wheeling. He wrote:
“Just fun, communities across America have them. … Rules for sure, all the city’s have rules – must be 16 and have a drivers license, proper (head)lights and tail lights. No highway access … Safer, max speed on golf cart around 20 miles per hour. Probably not for all sections of Wheeling, but, for sure, some. People want to live in fun community.”
When that fun will begin, however, has yet to be determined.
“The timeline for this is up to City Council,” Herron said. “It’s up to them how they want to handle it, but this has been a conversation for a few months. I believe if the golf carts can be operated safely, allowing them in our neighborhoods just adds an dimension of transportation.
“I would assume we’re talking about an ordinance that is citywide, but it also needs to be able to safely operate a golf cart, and in some areas of the city there are some pretty steep hills,” he said. “And go up those same hills might be difficult.”
Regular meetings for Wheeling’s City Council are scheduled for August 4th and August 18th, and in September, the body is set to gather on September 1st and September 15th. Herron does not know, however, whether or not the golf cart initiative will make the agenda for one or more of those meetings
“I do want to stress that this has not been decided by council, and ultimately, that’s who has to figure it out,” the city manager confirmed. “It’s all part of the process of investigating an idea that’s been brought up by a council member or by a resident. Looking at what other areas have done was one of the first steps in this process, and it’s gone from there.
“If they want to continue the conversation, there are many more specifics to consider,” he added. “There are a lot of different kinds of golf carts, that’s for sure.”
