2012 Resident Survey – Lake Sumter bridge cart path
 

If you've ever driven over the Lake Sumter bridge cart path you realize how narrow (and dangerous) it is. I've been told that when they built the bridge they had normal sized cart paths - but at the last minute the State said they were required to have a pedestrian sidewalk - so they narrowed the cart path and added the sidewalk. Now TV says it is "cost prohibitive" to widen the bridge.

We all should request (on our 2012 Resident Survey) that they add a sidewalk on the outside of the existing wall on the bridge to Sumter Landing. It would be far less expensive than widening the bridge because it would only have to be sturdy enough for walking traffic. Then they could remove the current sidewalk and widen the cart paths back to a normal width. I'm not an engineer but it seems like it would be an inexpensive way to solve a serious problem. A win-win-win for everyone

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the cart path over the bridge. There are signs that tell you to drive your cart slowly over the bridge. If you do not have a speedometer to tell you 10 mph, just ease up on the accelerator and go slow. There is plenty of room if you take normal caution and do not go barreling through at top speed.

Agree completely. For the last five years, we've included this comment on our survey but I seriously doubt the developer will ever address the problem. Janet Tutt's last comment on the subject was the Morse bridge is fully compliant with all state and local code requirements...They plan to correct a depression in the roadway caused by a sinking pier and that's it. I wonder if a petition would help but on what basis?

If memory serves...the bridge, like all street in TV, belong to the county. So, for the Morse bridge, you'd have to petition Sumter Co. for any changes.

Could be wrong...maybe someone else knows for sure...

Its fine, leave it alone.

Can't Understand
 

I honestly can't understand why anyone would say that bridge is fine or
leave it alone. We drive over it a lot and have for years and it is an
accident waiting to happen. If you go over the bridge towards Lake Sumter
it is not as much of a threat as if someone forces you off the path you would
go on the walk path. If, however you are going the other way and are
forced to the right and your wheel's hit the curb you have a pretty good
chance of falling into traffic.
I think letters should be sent both to the county and The Village's highlighting this terrible exposure so if there is an accident it can be
established the proper authorities were warned and ignored the problem. :mad:

If you're so afraid of the bridge, why use it ?? No one is forcing you to risk life and limb to cross that bridge. There are alternatives to using the bridge...

Just sayin' . . .

I think Memason is probably correct - so I guess I'll do both - the 2012 Resident Survey and the county. Probably won't help but who knows. All I know is that I truly enjoy the normal cart paths but get a few white knuckles going over the bridge - and would feel terrible if someone got hit and thrown out into the road and then hit by a car.

I think soon there may be a real big problem with the bridge. I'm noticing more and more wider golf carts driving around on the paths. These are not street legal ones as far as I can tell. (They don't sport FL plates.) I consider myself fortunate that I have not encountered any of them on the bridge. If I could get past one there would be precious little clearance for either of us. At some point I'm sure one of the owners of these wider carts will decide to cross the bridge and it won't be pretty.

As to the argument to just not use the bridge there are alternatives, the only alternative I see is to go all the way over to Buena Vista and come back on 466. That is a might long alternative route.

Suzanne

The Bridge is fine. Leave it as is.

If you go ten mph, there is not a problem. When we moved up to 466 I was worried about it, but I must cross it frequently to get where I'm goin'. Take it slow and you will be fine. Don't worry, just concentrate on where you are heading and keeping yourself inside the lines and take it SLOWER.

I agree with the "go slow" crowd.

The best complaining will do is the closing of the bridge to golf cart traffic entirely and everyone will have to go to Buena Vista.

Remember.... driving golf carts around here is a PRIVILEDGE!


Hey, here's an idea; southbound for the 1st 30 minutes of an hour and northbound for the last 30.

WAIT . . .that'll probably start 'drag racing' !~

Sumter Landing Bridge
 

To all of you who say " The bridge is fine ... leave it alone. "
Have you never encountered a cart in your oncoming lane going over that bridge?? I have.
If you want to go to Spanish Springs in your cart.. you must cross over that bridge ( as far as I know there is no other way). It is a dangerous situation and sooner or later someone is going to encounter a BIG problem. I hope it's not one of you who say "leave it alone, it's not a problem".

There is another way..................read the above posts.

Bridge Speed
 

The idea of driving at 10mph across the bridge is great. The problem is,
what if the cart coming at you is going 20mph with their leg hanging out
to look macho. We now have a problem..!! I am not worried about my
driving across..I am worried about the idiot crossing at a high speed and
coming towards me. That is the concern. Now lets make it Friday or
Saturday night after a lot of drinking at the squares and that cart path
may look a lot tighter..I continue to believe this if one of the worst paths
in The Villages..:wave:

I think the guy with his leg hanging out looking macho as you say,has the problem. Are you worried about hitting his leg. Not me, stop the worry, if unsure drive slow, If cart coming fast in other lane slow down. Before you know it, we will have to start wearing helmets. Think majority have no problem with the bridge. just my opinion.

Well said - sorry, I didn't mean to start an argument - thought I had a simple solution to a problem that might injure someone. Yes, I do slow down to below 10mph - but as many others have said, it's not my driving I'm worried about - its the idiot heading for me.

When you look at the concerns raised, there is a common thread. IF the cart is driven faster than the recommended speed on the bridge, IF the person in the other cart has had a bit to drink and, presumably, has less control, IF the cart is wider than standard, IF the other driver has his/her knee hanging out of the cart, there MAY be a problem. So, the other side is IF the cart is driven at the recommended speed, IF the other driver has not had too much to drink, IF the other driver has his body parts inside the cart, then there is no problem.

Given this, I don't see any response from either TV or Sumter County other than: drive the recommended speed, don't drink and drive even a golf cart, keep all body parts inside the cart. I don't see them spending money on rebuilding the bridges (there are two) because we can't control our carts.

The only reasonable changes I can see made would be to remove the walkway raised portion and make it the same height as the cart path. Then stripe it to create the lanes and the walkway. By doing this, it would create a bailout area. The problem I see with that is that it probably violates a regulation mandating that sidewalks must be at a different grade than roadways, bike paths, etc. Also, I can see carts invading the walkway area when there is no danger and impeding pedestrian travel.

this reminds me of the early days of airline/airport security. as the system was being set up every time you turned around someone would say 'what if' and another regulation would be born. the ' what ifs' are what created the TSA mess that we have today. common sense is what will make the bridge safer. not more lines and signs and curbs.

:smiley: That's the most important thing that some lose sight of.... Driving a cart all over in the Villages is like Spandex.... It's a priviledge not a right!:22yikes:

I worry when driving northbound in a cart that a car going southbound could lose control and hop the curb. Cars seem to go terribly fast....over the speed limit. I am not an expert, but would it be possible for a car to go over the curb?

Vidvir

another what if!

Most "what ifs" eventually happen - I just hope it isn't you that is involved.

A reflective guard rail along the curb might make everyone feel more secure and make the curb more visible from the road, especially at night.

Considering that cars can jump over freeway barriers, I'm sure they can hop that curb . . but they can also loose control and cross white lines.:22yikes:

As I sit back and read these posts, I am scratching my head. I've always had the train of thought that we are all adults living in TV. We aren't getting any younger and if you think anything like me, you know that your life is precious and could be ended at any moment, unlike how we felt when we were 18. We thought that we were invincible. I know now, more than ever, that I would never be the same if I caused anyone physical harm, due to my incompetence. would you want that hanging over your head for the rest of your life? We have to behave like adults and follow the rules that were put upon us. It our job to set good examples for others. So if eveyone could go the speed limit and put others before yourself, you will probably get along on the cart paths and tunnels just fine. Nobody is perfect and accidents will happen, but don't let it be you that causes it. Is anyone is that much of a hurry that they cannot slow down and get place to place safely? Come on now, quit acting like kids and follow the rules and have some common sense. Now I'll take the flack for writing this....:rant-rave:

:agree:

Has anyone ever seen or witnessed an accident in the golf-cart lanes on the bridge? I've seen accidents in the regular car lanes. Perhaps they should slow the cars down! Speed bumps every 50 ft should do it.

No flack from me, Happi....it's not difficult to go the speed limit on the bridge, whether you're in a car or a cart.

Cries of changing the bridge seem unrealistic to me. Where is the money to come from? Is the developer going to come up with the funds? Right now, the bridge does what it is designed to do. There was a problem with the roadbed a while ago, but it has been addressed and monitoring of structure safety continues.

Speed limits are posted, we're adults and are responsible for following the rules and limits of the road. Takes only a few minutes to get over the bridge in a cart...put your leg back in the cart, slow down for those few minutes, stay in your lane and the cart behind you will just have to slow down as you drive over the bridge at the correct speed....if they're in a rush, they can pass once they've made it over the lake.

How does one justify violating speed limits when transporting our grandkids?

It all seems scary to me so I'll probably have airbags installed and wear a helmet and seat belt! I'm a safety nut and always air on the side of caution. Maybe when transporting the grandkids you should go a different route, take a car or take them where you don't have to go over the bridge. Cargo too precious to risk....

Interesting
 

Does anyone know there were 10 fatal golf carts accidents in the last 5 years or the number of non fatal accidents that happen, (about 2 a month)..
There was one today on the cart path that runs next to 466. Couple of
ambulances. I believe it is questionable to believe all will drive the carts
safely if you just ask them..It is responsible to point out potential accident
areas and ask for some correction. All of those who drive from Lake Sumter
across the bridge should look to their right at the inside of the small curb and the number of "tire marks"..I think that speaks for itself. :mornincoffee:

A far simpler solution would be to reduce the width of the sidewalk to create space to widen the cart lanes. So what if the few walkers have to be inconvenienced by walking single file.

If drivers would go 10 MPH as is posted, the path would not be dangerous and would not be required to be any wider.

The bridge golf cart lanes are big enough,and the speed is fine.

As is in most cases if people follow the rules its fine, But in real life its not always the case, Folks remember your 14 year old grand kids can legally drive your cart across that bridge, Do you feel comfortable letting them drive across it especially without you in the cart, Its legal, For me lets widen that lane.

I agree 100%. Cars barrel over that bridge and those little cement barriers will not stop a vehicle traveling that fast from jumping over into the golf cart lanes. This is a horrible accident just waiting to happen.

In this thread, there are 2 opposing camps of opinion on whether the cart path over the bridge is safe.

My opinion is that the path is not safe no matter what the speed. The path is just wide enough for the carts but the large concrete barrier on the roadway side can easily cause anyone who touches it to bounce or overcorrect and end up in the wrong lane of the cart path. I would like to see improvements made so that I don't have to cross the bridge in trepidation. Today's design is poor and represents a risk to all who use it.

the sumter bridge width is the same as the bridge over 27 to the historical side. no complaints there. maybe its the people living on the southern side that causes the problem. younger and aggresive from up north. they havnt settled into the lifestyle yet!!!

Think Deeper
 

Regarding the comment that the bridge over 27 is the same width and it is the "age" of the person's on the south side.
It is pretty clear the bridge over 27 does not have car's going by at
close range and at variable speeds. Big difference and quite a simple
recognition.:mornincoffee:

you couldnt be more wrong. when carts go down the other side they are going VERY fast. its all about attitude!!