Restricted golf cart use
 

I had a friend return from a life style trip this weekend. He and his wife fell in love with the Villages, of course. He did bring up a couple of thing regarding accessing business and medical care by golf cart. He said everything within Village prosperity is golf cart accessible, He noticed a lot of medical facilities adjacent to the Villages had “No Golf Cart” signs posted at their entrances. He also said none of the strip malls along one of the major routes through the village allow golf carts. He couldn’t remember what route. He just remembered his wife wanted to go to Kohls and they had to go back and get the car. This doesn’t seem right since retails would know most of their customers use golf carts. I’m wondering if these places have separate golf cart entrances, that my friend didn’t see, to keep them out of the flow of traffic. Or is there indeed limited or no golf cart access to these places.:shrug:

It's true there's no access to Kohl's, but that's the first place in that direction. It goes accross a street, but the entire shopping areas before that are gc accessible. I'm with you. It seems that Kohl's would try to work something out. I don't know if it's possible or not.

Some of the newer shopping centers are on "the other side" of the road and golf carts are not allowed to cross roads not owned by the Villages. There are still many shops, grocery stores, and restaurants that are accessible by golf cart, including Wal-Mart, Beals, Target, Publix etc.

Near us, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Radio Shack, JoAnne Fabrics and Home Depot are NOT golf cart accessible.

Another part of the reasoning for this has been said that granting golf cart access to those businesses would also open up the entire Villages to those who do not live in TV to use all the cart paths within that are supported by our ammenity fees. It is not really a point now, but as that "side" continues to develop both commercially and residentially, it could be.

I think it has more to do with state law than regulations imposed by either TV or the stores. I believe state law forbids golf carts from being on or crossing over streets that have speed limits of 35 MPH or more. Since Rolling Acres fits that description, golf carts are not allowed to cross over it to get to Kohl's, Best Buy, etc. One way around this is to buy a street legal golf cart which can travel on streets with 35 MPH limits and also cross over other streets like 441. However, this imposes additional costs in terms of insurance and registration. For the balance of 2009, these costs are more than offset by a federal tax rebate of over $5,000 in some cases.

Rather than stores what medical facilities such as labs and the hospital would I be unable to get to with only a gorf cart. Remember I cannot drive a car, so this is very important.

I know you can get to the hospital and many dentists. The lab I know about is across 441 and you can get there buy the golf cart overpass. I am sure there are other labs, I just don't know where.

There is a lab in Lake Sumter - near the Citizens Bank drive through, right down the street from TooJays.

Lab
 

Quest Dignostics is opening a new location at Palm Ridge Plaza off Hwy 466 within the next few weeks.

ALL the strip malls through The Villages are golf cart accessable. All of the medical facilities in The Villages are golf cart accessable. What your friend may have seen are signs stopping golf carts from crossing major routes like 466 and 441 thru traffic intersections. There are tunnels and bridges to cross these avenues to get to facilities on the other side. It is true you can't have access to Kohl's or any of the stores in that strip mall on the south side of Rolling Acres road as it is not in The Villages property and the Town of Lady Lake will not permit crossing with a cart.

Up north of Spainish Springs there is a golf cart bridge crossing 27/441, so access to the other side of 27/441 is possible.

But not to the Kohl's Mall.

although there are stores and medical offices near the villages that are beyond the village compound and thus not golf cart accessible. i don't believe there is a product or service that can't be found right here and thus fully golf cart accessible.
i can't drive a car and manage easily with just one or two private van trips a year to leesburg for specific medical needs and of course, all the online shopping options. with ups and fed ex delivery right to my lanai.
so unless access to kohl's is a deal breaker. there should be no fear of being a golf cart only resident.
i

Shop at Beall's, Wal-Mart, Target, etc. About the same products and quality.

I don't see any comments about not getting to Home Depot and Sam's Club which are not cart accessable either?

.

Being a relative newbee, I don't know much, but that never stopped me before!:confused:

I did see someone being picked up at St. Timothy's Church (which is in The Villages) by "The Villages Taxi."

That might be one alternative for travel to those few places you have to go that are not cart accessible, along with the private van service mentioned in an earlier post.

Also there is a shuttle service to the Orlando Airport for wider traveling.

All in all, there seems to be alternatives for those without cars.