For some people going to an external location to park, meet a bus, and leave your vehicle there - could be a bit of scary situation. Look at the population around us. I have to agree with CFrance on this topic.

the buses already use walmart's lot, you know, where that 'population around us' shops...gee, when I put it that way it sounds kind of snobbish..

I wouldn't leave a trash can at Walmart overnight, much less a vehicle.

Why should Wal-Mart tie up any part of their parking lot for Villagers' bus trips, when The Villages can't accommodate Villagers' bus trips?

I cannot be sure, but has this not always been the rule, but is now going to be enforced because of the population explosion and, from what I hear, an increase in complaints.

I don't think it was ever "allowed".

As more people come pushing the envelope a bit over time, I am sure there will be more issues like this.

Just guessing

The problem is the buses are no longer allowed in to pickup residents for day trips. If the people going on bus trips at least ours did doubled up in the parking spaces they didn't take up a whole lot of space. The buses that operate in TV don't have the same price, size or number of buses. So you can't contract with them to do your trips period. You can't convince me there isn't some place that could be used period. And how would anyone know where the people from the parked vehicles are, shopping, at a movie, eating diner, listening to the music in the square etc. The buses didn't park in the square, the people who went on the trips didn't park in the squares, they parked on the outskirt of the parking lots around the squares or in a corner of a rec center parking lot. NEVER did I see one use the Colony Plaza parking lot.

And that is why I think Ms. Tutts' statement that it's causing a parking problem is very suspect.

...

I have seen a bus trip leave from colony. so what is the pricing on the 'inhouse' company? how much more are they? what size buses do they run, they really don't have enough buses? period. As far as I can see they have everything from minivans to 56 passenger motor coaches so why exactly can't I contract them period? have you tried?

of course it is...they are just protecting their vendors, I'd want that if I paid so much to do business here

They had 1 56 passenger bus.
Compared pricing item for item for a trip we had booked $125.00 more then ours. So yea it comes down to money. Beside even IF they had enough buses, even IF we booked thru them the same amount of vehicles would be parked somewhere in TV area period. So it's not about the parking it's about money staying in house period.

I agree with this. If Villages Van had enough vehicles of the right size and comfort level to accommodate all the club trips, it would be one thing--still greedy because more expensive, but I could see their trying to protect their vendors. However, they cannot accommodate everyone.

Our Three Rivers spring training trip to Bradenton leaves (up till now) from Brownwood because in the past it added a half hour each way to the trip to leave from Sumter. Brownwood is never crowded. Can't imagine where else we could leave from down here. Maybe Spars.

I hope the sales agents, when pointing out all the clubs in TV, tell people, By the way, you can only be a member of a TV club if you live in TV. But you can't leave on a trip with them from where you live.

So you can contract with them to do your trips on the same size bus exclamation point. And 2 bucks more per person stopped you, that's more accurate then your earlier claim.

You're missing his point. They don't have enough busses to accommodate a large group. Even if they did, cars would be parked in the parking lot during the trip anyway. So Ms. Tutt's giving as one of the reasons the fact that there is a parking problem is specious.

Ms Tutt's other statement about this vendor paying to maintain the roads in The Villages is equally specious. The Villages Transportation is an Orlando-based company who are leaseholders. What special taxes do an Orlando-based renter pay that would maintain The Villages roads?

In a letter to the editor, it was stated that The Villages is no longer allowing the Amtrak bus to pick up passengers in TV. This is a free bus that transports passengers from TV to the nearest train station.