Oak Forest Drive
 

Has anyone seen the new signs on Oak Forest Drive ?
" NO THRU TRAFFIC " and then goes on to state the fine if caught. I think it was
$123.50 These signs are posted at both ends of the street. I don't know what a
U-turn costs.... but I figured it was cheaper and made one. Signs also state 3 points on your license.

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Where is Oak Forest Drive?

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Does this include by golf cart?

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Golf carts are expected to obey the same traffic rules as autos. The problems on Oak Forest have been determined to be caused by "shortcut" drivers, and that surely includes golf carts. The remedy is for cars to use Buena Vista Blvd and golf carts to use the golf cart path along Buena Vista Blvd to get North and South.

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Dayton - I don't know. I was in my golf cart when I made the U-turn.
I was just thinking. Gas has not hit much more than $4.00 gal.
We can all go the long way. Somebody that lives on that street must
have some real power or know someone who does. Does the district or
Sumter Co. own that street? I believe that it is Sumter Co. You know...
the people I pay TAXES too.


Cliff - Who gets to use Oak Forest Drive? Only the people who live there?
Not the people who pay for it? If that's the case, I want to talk to someone about the street I live on. I live on Azteca Loop and Sumter Co. does not own it. We have been known to get a cart or 2 go down our street.

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Bombero, you sure do get a lot of cart traffic in your neighborhood. And, if I'm not mistaken, the residents got fed up with the constant speeders and had speed bumps installed about every 50 feet through your neighborhood. Your fellow homeowners in your CDD paid for it along with you. We have not resorted to speed bumps on Oak Forest yet but that is one of the things being considered in order to cut down the traffic and slow down the speeders. Do you deny us the opportunity to accomplish what you accomplished in your neighborhood?

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Please forgive me for asking again...

but...

where is Oak Forest Drive?

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Ok..this is a letter sent to The Sun about this. I don't think it has been published yet.

Today I noticed that signs have been posted on parts of Oak Forest Road in The Villages. The signs are marked NO THRU TRAFFIC and cite as authority Florida Statute 316.074 As a local resident I am well aware of the purpose of these Traffic Control Devices. While I am somewhat sympathetic to their intent, they are clearly illegal and should be removed.

Attorney General Crist issued Advisory Legal opinion AGO 2004-013 on March 24,2004.. This opinion was issued in response to the city of Coral Gables attempting to limit traffic on public roads to residents and invitees of people living on those roads. For the sake of brevity I will only include the final parts of his opinion which is crystal clear. The entire opinion is available at http://myfloridalegal.com/ago.nsf/Op...256E620055999C). for those who wish to read the full opinion. However, the final three paragraphs should be enough for anyone who understands the English Language.

The Florida Department of Transportation has adopted the Federal Highway Safety Administration Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices[5] for use in this state. No provision of the manual and specifications adopted by the Department of Transportation or elsewhere in Chapter 316, Florida Statutes, authorizes the use or erection of a sign stating 'No Thru Street.'[6] Thus, a municipality has no authority to erect or enforce such a sign pursuant to Chapter 316, Florida Statutes.

The roads upon which the City of Cape Coral has erected signs are municipal roadways on which the public has a right to travel. This is not a situation involving private roads over which the municipality has been requested to exercise traffic control and must enter into an agreement with the private owners to exercise such control.[7]

While the municipality is authorized to provide regulatory or warning signage on municipal roadways to alert motorists to such things as posted speed limits or 'watch for children', nothing in Chapter 316, Florida Statutes, or elsewhere authorizes the city to limit the right of the public to use such roadways for the exclusive benefit of the home owners in the area and their invitees.

I believe the proper and legal way to restrict traffic would be to make Oak Forest a one way street. The desire to use this street would also be reduced if the cart paths along Buena Vista Blvd were black topped and upgraded

It is very disheartening to see local authorities either ignorant on indifferent to the law. No doubt the Sumter County Sheriff will view this as another source of revenue and assign personnel to cite violators. This situation should be eliminated before innocent people are persecuted.

Sincerely

James E Mc Cauley
3548 Whiting Way
The Villages, Florida 32162

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Cliff - Just wanted to say that there is a difference between a Sumter Co. road and a
CDD road.
We have not accomplished much in our neighborhood. We still have the speeders
and the Stop Sign runners. Most people people do as they please. I think both
streets need better enforcement of the laws, NOT new laws. Sumter Co. could
do a better job. I would think it is easier to catch someone speeding than stopping
everyone and checking to see where they live. Don't forget to give your company
that stops by, a note to get out of the area. LOL

Good luck and I hope it works. I'll go around....but I'm not in a hurry. I even stop at
Stop Signs. All of them!

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

What idiot(s) authorized that sign? This is too much for "Leisureville" to handle.

Skip

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

My Federal Highway engineer buddy is skeptical that this is a legal sign. The cited Florida Statute says nothing more than motorists must obey posted traffic control devices. Mr Engr says that for such a sign to be legal, the road owners (aka Sumter County) must pass a specific commission order for this sign/restrictions/penalty.

Just looked at Sumter County Commission website...in their June 24th meeting, they arrived at a consensus that the sign was the way to go, but, deferred final decision/vote until their July 8th meeting. No minutes for the July 8th meeting have been posted. If they did approve this on July 8th, they sure wasted no time posting the signs. Where was the public notification, marketing plan, etc?

I understand the issue on Oak Forest, in principle, but I'm not convinced this was the best solution. So many loopholes and innocent folks who could be punished unwittingly.

I imagine this will spur much more debate....

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

It would seem to me that under the present"regulations"in effect on a public street maintained with tax dollars that if you live on that street and enter on the south end to access your home you must by"law"go back out the way you came in as no Thru Traffic is allowed.Wow that will be a big selling point.There is an old saying,watch out what you ask for ect,ect,ect.

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

There is a golf cart path that leads to Glenview Country Club via Riverdale Rd which is off Oak Forest Drive that everyone I know uses. Besides that one of our favorite pasttimes is to drive around in our cart to different areas of The Villages to view landscaping and just to plain ride. I can't imagine any area being off limits if people are obeying the traffic speed limits. If the problem is speeders than enforce that law because it appears that is the only law you can enforce.

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Bombero, you have my sympathies for living on Azteca. I plead guilty to being one of those who uses your street as a shortcut. I do stop at every stop sign, drive slowly and try to be respectful. Heck, I'm even weird enough to stop and let you out of your driveway rather than making you wait for me. Seems only fair since I know I'm encroaching.

Ditto Oak Forest. I use it, too. The signs aren't going to stop me. These are public streets maintained by public funds (property taxes, gasoline taxes, etc.). You can't restrict the public from using public streets. If I'm speeding, give me a ticket, I won't fight it because I don't live on it? I'll fight that puppy all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if I have to and I'll win.

I don't take the shortcuts to save time as much as I take them because the golf cart paths are so dang bumpy -- especially on El Camino and north of Polo Ridge. They're just not all that comfortable to me, whether I'm on my scooter or someone's golf cart. As I said, I do try to be respectful of the residents of those streets that I know are getting more than their fair share of traffic because it is a short cut. It would be nice if others would try to drive on these streets quietly, slowly, safely and sanely.

Re: Oak Forest Drive
 

Brightspot, Oak Forest Drive is North of 466 and runs parallel to Buena Vista Blvd. It starts at Southern Trace heading North, crosses Talley Ridge Dr. and continues another half mile or so. The section North of Talley Ridge doesn't lead any where except for the golf cart entrance to Glenview Country Club via Oak Forest Dr. to Riverdale.