Gates and Posts
 

Why not fix the gates to reduce or stop the many times they are knocked down and off the
blocks holding them up. We have lived in the Villages for quite a few years and have, during this time watched gates being knocked down and repair crews to put them back up. It is apparent a number of them can't be seen at night and in a few cases during the day. A very
simple fix is to first put strong reflectors on them and second hang down along them reflectors like strings. Regarding the posts that are at some of the golf cart entrances and exits. They should all be on springs to bend if hit so they are not knocked down. It appears this change has been implicated on some but not all. The way they are now they are a cash cow for the company that is contracted to repair them! At our Village the gates are knocked down about 2-3 times a month. Go figure?:ho:

Good ideas. I was thinking nay some type of solar led flashing lights..?

I posed a similar request to Sumter County (these are county roads) and was told the design was per Florida requirements and no changes would be made. My suggestion was to add a yellow triangular sign on the arm. I gave up.

You could add an arm that was fully lighted and flashing and they would still be knocked down. For some reason some folks seem to disregard the fact that as a continually aging community there will always be folks who forget the gate arms are there, are distracted or to blind to notice.

A gate arm that had a pressure hinge and when hit released the gate arm to fold back would solve many issues, but the cost would be high and I've a feeling that the cost of the cheap aluminum ones prevents any real change.

The other problem is people try to tailgate the first vehicle to get through faster, I saw this a few days ago, and the second car just missed the gate arm.

For my two cents worth-
It does not seem that all the gates are the same. As far as people hitting the arms, there are at least two problems. Depending on the light, they are often hard to see. Gates are often at golf cart crossings. So you need to deal with the gates and golf cart drivers.
I can think of one we regularly cross where you have both mentioned issues plus an attendant who nicely wishes you a good day as you are wrestling with your card, being close enough to the sensor, golf carts, other cars, walkers, bicycles, and light.

Repair of hit arms????? I've never hit one. But they seem to just snap back in. They seem to make a production over nothing.

Having it fold back, that would surely damage your car or golf cart.

I too worry about the gates...keeps me awake at night.

I recall the gate arms being yellow and saying "Welcome Home" when we first came here. Easier to see. The red and white markings are not easy to see, especially at twilight, when they blend in the surrounding vegetation. A dumb idea on the State of Florida's part.

Many times the "missing" gates aren't knocked down they are simply stuck so they are taken off or the card readers fail and they have to remove the gate or keep it in the up position. The gate by Mallory CC is like that. Both sides, constantly not working (more often the outbound side). Repair guy says the mechanisms get stuck or get so slow they remove them until they are fixed. He said that is the problem all over. As far as the ones that actually get broken many times people try to sneak through right behind another car and all the flashing lights or yellow signs won't stop that. Obviously there are also blind old folks. You have to realize the mechanisms are as old as the areas they are in and for some that can be pretty old. Eventually they won't find spare parts.

That AND those crazy arms that refuse to go down between cars...and you are certain you are going to be boinked on the top of your car by it finally going down after you waited.....

What is the purpose of the gates anyway? They don't keep anyone from coming in. And the gate shacks? Do Villagers need to pay someone to smile and open the gate for everyone. I bet they are instructed to wave and smile just to give the impression of "the friendliest home town"' Gates and gate shacks are a ruse by the developer as marketing tools to fool gullible old people that they live in a safe gated community.

Get rid of the gates, and put in several speed ramps.
Cheaper, and much more efficient.
Drivers will soon learn to slow down to crawler speed!:icon_wink:

Boo Hiss Boo

How about one car going thru the gate at a time? The gate closes every five second but cars continuously tailgate thru.

The reflectors are a no per Community Watch although I don’t recall the reasons why.

Well if you have driven a golf cart on the rec trails very much you would know what the gates are for. Golf carts cross the roads just inside those gates so the gates are a necessity to give the golf carts a chance to cross safely

For one thing, the gates help the golf carts get safely across. Without them cars would just be flowing thru not even slowing down. When we're in hurricane mode they are removed and it really makes it difficult to cross.
:pray::pray:

I've seen gates going into other surrounding communities painted florescent yellow or orange with red reflective tape. Those are much easier to see than our red and white ones.
:bigbow::bigbow:

I don't think gates are hit because people didn't see them. :ohdear:

You would NOT want speed bumps. I lived in a community that put speed bumps in and they ruin the suspension in your car and hurt your back going over them.

At certain times of the day when the sun is low and directly ahead the gate arms are really hard to see.

Was that the little old silver haired lady again driving that can't see over the steering wheel? Just askin.

The speed limit at the gates (at least the ones I've gone through) is posted at 5 MPH. Hard to see how someone going that speed is going to have his car's suspension damaged by a speed bump.

Have you ever read some of the posts here and realized what fancy problems we complain about?? FANCY PROBLEMS

Been driving over speed bumps for years.
If you are hurting your back, and/or damaging your car, you are simply going over them too fast.

I am much more concerned with the intensity of some of the lights at night at the gate. In St Cathrines, they are so bright and perfectly directed so you are blinded. A disaster waiting to happen.

The arms are designed to fall easily so they are not damaged and your car is not damaged much. There are 2 guys whose only job is to fix the gates and they are kept busy. They charge the person who damaged the gates $200.

I knew this would engender a negative comment. However, it isn't a bad idea. Speed bumps work.

We saw this the first time too. We were in our cart trying to cross. We almost got killed. Had no idea two cars were gonna come through that gate. Unbelievable.

Not just the Village People
 

It is not only the people who live here. We see many many people who just zoom thru the streets for a short cut. Hence just watch at Belvedere. Where cars speed down the street at all hours of the day and night! They do not live here!

Recently we had the opposite experience. The gate was off completely (I think Bailey) we were behind a car waving their gate pass. At first it was funny, we were waiting to see how long it took the person to realize there was no gate. We finally
gave them a quick, friendly beep.

Worked at Gate Ops and 80% are from people trying to tail gate another car or a golf cart trying to go around a closed gate. Everyone is retired STOP and push the button if you don’t have time to properly open the gates then walk. Remember it’s your money being spent to put them back up. BE RESPONSIBLE!

[QUOTE=vb993;2033025]What is the purpose of the gates anyway? They don't keep anyone from coming in. And the gate shacks? Do Villagers need to pay someone to smile and open the gate for everyone. I bet they are instructed to wave and smile just to give the impression of "the friendliest home town"' Gates and gate shacks are a ruse by the developer as marketing tools to fool gullible old people that they live in a safe gated community.[/QUOTE


If smiles and waves are not what helps to make a community friendly then what does? Certainly not frowns or indifference.

You could replace the gates with red and green lights ala the toll booths on the expressway. The golf cart crossings should have been put in a different location

Why are there gates?
 

I agree totally...why are there gates at all?

As stated above, traffic control by

1. Allowing golf carts a chance to cross the road without being run over by cars;
2. Allowing people in cars or carts who live by a gate (like I do) a chance to enter the road by cars and trucks being momentarily stopped at the gate.

And, to the poster who wonders about the usefulness of gate attendants, have you ever driven through the Morse gate at CR 466? What a melee that would be without them directing two lanes of cars merging into one lane northbound, while golf carts are attempting to cross that lane southbound. And The Villages Hospital is not a trauma center.

Ohiobuckeye
 

I bet if TV would make the gates out of I-beams I bet people would learn real quick that they have to STOP or racing through it before it comes back down!

Gates for safety
 

The gates provide safety for golf carts as they pass on the backside of the gate. I’ve been in The Villages 15 plus years and I can tell you from experience the gates are a necessity. If you have a golf cart you know what I mean without boring you with details. :clap2:

I agree with you. It is a waste of money, and time to have to replace these. Maybe a fiberglass pole with a spring or a speed bump would do the same thing to get you to slow down to take a picture of your license plate.

Everyone knows the gates are there and you are required to stop. Unless new here there's no excuse for hitting them

I’m sure someone has a job fixing them and someone is making a lot of money - heard 500$ each