Carts Crossing at Saddlebrook
 

I was coming back home in my car about noon today, I was on Buena Vista northbound and waiting for the left turn arrow to go onto Southern Trace.

While the North and South traffic was stopped by the red light, 3 golf carts crossed Buena Vista from the Saddlebrook side to the Polo Ridge side. They obviously did not want to take the designated detour to the Belvedere Tunnel now that the Saddlebrook Tunnel is closed for repairs.

Waiting for them on the other side was a Sumter County Deputy. He signaled all three carts to the grassy area and was talking with them. Hopefully, he just warned them what they did was illegal. Otherwise, he could charge them with a variety of citations costing a few hundred dollars.

To me, it seems that an exception should have been made for the month the repair is being done. A sign could have been put up instructing cart drivers they could cross Buena Vista at that spot while obeying the traffic light.

Cite them. Fine them.

Too dangerous, I concur.


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But yet, just a quarter mile north on BV at the next stop light, it is perfectly ok to cross under the same exact circumstances... go figure! Bureaucracy at it's best.

Where is this? The only other stop light on Buena Vista north of Saddlebrook is at 42.

I think they mean El Camino Real and Enrique Dr... the powes to be say its unsafe crossing at the light in a golf cart but it's ok to cross on a bicycle or motorized wheel chair ....

Plenty of discussion on this in a recent thread:

Saddlebrook-multi-modal-tunnel-closure

Agree. I believe that one of the respondents to the linked email chain indicated that he planned to cross in a similar fashion. If the detour is that much of an inconvenience, then drive or wait until the repairs are completed if using a golf cart is a must or accept the consequences which I hope is only a traffic ticket or two and not a life changing event.

Some cars really are going fast on El Camino Real. 40 mph seems about an average speed there.

Yup, sorry, meant to turn off BV onto ElCamino. But the situation is exactly the same, maybe even worse because it is a straightaway and the speed trend to be higher. But it was approved anyway, years ago.

In Fl you can not get fined for more than 5mph or less over the posted speed limit, you get a warning--this applies to cars/trucks--not golf carts

Well apparently the county had a change of heart. Heading south on Buena Vista, there is a detour sign right in front of the barricade to the closed tunnel directing you across the intersection through the stop light to the other side. No cops and everybody is utilizing that directive. Looks like somebody at the county offices finally woke up!

I like consistency and am dismayed that no one has played the "you're retired, what's the rush?" card.

Don't be dismayed... be happy. it already has been done in a previous post.

Interesting... have to be careful in a cart coming south, taking a left into Saddlebrook, especially if carts stack up on the cart path. Normally we cross Southern Trace (S.T) gate while light is red to S.T. or all cars are gone. Now it will be green and need to carefully watch for cars entering and exiting S.T.

I reckon we will find out...

:BigApplause:



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