[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Bilyclub

The gates are good and serve a purpose. Anybody who says there are never lines of cars streaming thru gates has never taken the Buena Vista MMP during the day. St. Charles and Bailey Tr. are ridiculous and dangerous to cross at times.

Amen, Brother. St. Charles, just off BV, would be impossible without the gates. It's really bad even with the gates.

Where BV MMP crosses Old Mill Run there is no gate, and it's not unusual to have 15 or 20 carts waiting to cross there. A gate probably wouldn't be workable with the car traffic on Old Mill there, but it's a good indication of how useful they are in other places.

[MrFlorida]

If they can't stop for the gate, do you think they would stop for a cart crossing the road just beyond ?

[reggiethurlow]

I agree, the gates are not needed.

[twoplanekid]

Originally Posted by Dantes

The district is very big on making people pay for damage
The cameras catch the tag they file a report. Police fine them and insurance pays

I would hope so yet the amount collected according to the budget figures found on the district website is $61,000 for gate repairs collect (repair fines) and $566,000 for gate maintenance ( wonder how much of this is for breakage).

[justjim]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

The solution is to get rid of the gates. YES -- get rid of them! Many would like to believe that they control traffic. Nonsense! The developer put them there to make would-be buyers believe they are buying into a truly gated community. Between the maintenance of the gates, utilities, and salaries for those keystone cops who "man" the gates, it costs well over a million dollars a year. That money could surely be put to better use!

As said many many times. The gates are there to protect the golf carts and to slow down careless drivers. Safety always has a cost. Most of the time the car/person that knocks down the gate pays the costs. It doesn’t cost you or me…

[mikeycereal]

The complex where I lived at previously before moving here had such a slow gate (when it was even working) everyone piggybacked. Tried that here a month ago and had to stop and back up quickly because that arm was coming down fast. New village and no one was behind me but from now on I wait the few seconds. You really don't know the gate speed until you witness it. So like another said in this thread, probably some piggybackers on a good % of the breaks.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by mikeycereal

The complex where I lived at previously before moving here had such a slow gate (when it was even working) everyone piggybacked. Tried that here a month ago and had to stop and back up quickly because that arm was coming down fast. New village and no one was behind me but from now on I wait the few seconds. You really don't know the gate speed until you witness it. So like another said in this thread, probably some piggybackers on a good % of the breaks.

Tried that piggy back huh? What was your motive? Saving 10 seconds?

[larrytx219]

GREAT POINT! This is why we need a simple registration decal like most large apartment complexes use. The cameras will catch the number and the police can assist. Not a license registration, just a decal with their number.

[Pat La Rosa]

If you go through the gates at dusk the color of the gate blends with the background. They should paint the gate Yellow instead of White and it will be easier to see when you are approaching it.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Pat La Rosa

If you go through the gates at dusk the color of the gate blends with the background. They should paint the gate Yellow instead of White and it will be easier to see when you are approaching it.

There is (almost) always a gate. If you don't see it, stop and look harder.

Are people really thinking, "Let's see there are gates at nearly every entrance and exit and they are always attached to those white boxes on the side of the road. I am at the entrance and I see the white box but I don't see a gate. This must be the exception! I'll just barrel on through!"

A different color scheme might help with visibility but it won't help with careless or clueless drivers. Plus, on other threads it has been asserted that the current red/white coloring is a State or local requirement (I don't know if that's true).

[Bilyclub]

Originally Posted by GpaVader

Not all gates serve the purpose of providing a safe crossing. We just had our gates installed at The Hammocks at Fenney. There is no crossing there or anyplace to close to it. The location is purely to slow in and outbound traffic. No attendant, while it has a card reader and a button neither is required, simply approach the gate and it opens. On approaching or exiting vehicles, it will slow the first one down but it will allow for a steady stream of vehicles to go through it.

The gate goes up automatically because it's new. I'm pretty sure they call it contractor mode or something like that. They will eventually switch over to the card and button mode.

[barnacle44]

Originally Posted by twoplanekid

I would have to believe our gates at Buena Vista to Hillsborough Trail have set a new record in the past 30 day for the most broken gate arms. For several days, the gate would last only one day before needing to be fixed. If it isn’t the entrance it’s the exit gate that was hit. Maybe the sun is brighter this summer because of climate change to then blind drivers so they can’t see gates. One is down again today

I think some blinking lights on the bars would help.

[Joe C.]

NO SPEED BUMPS .....PLEASE
For those of us with bad backs, speed bumps and golf carts just don't work right.

How about a heavy duty, solid steel (2 ton) horizontal bar .... that would work just fine. It would damage the vehicle, and the driver would probably learn to pay attention.

Or how about those tire shredders that some parking garages have where people who enter the wrong way encounter. Now that would be fun to watch !!!

[kcrazorbackfan]

Originally Posted by Bonanza

Inept? Seriously??? Just because you don't agree with me doesn't make my sentence "Inept" and your use of the word, in this case, is a poor example of what you might be trying to say. You might try respecting what others say before you make inane comments.

I have driven golf carts many times and don't choose to own one. "Pucker" that! A very dear friend was in a horrible golf cart accident last year and almost died. He is still showing signs of that accident although he has recovered pretty well.

Probably wasn’t because a gate was down though.

People without carts are always the first to chime in about the gates needing to be taken down. I got your attention so I did get my point across.

I do respect others, except when someone makes an “inane” (your words) comment about taking the gates down or making some other kind of goofy suggestion.

If some of you don’t like the gates or the guard shacks or community watch or the flowers planted at the entrances/roundabouts or anything else The Developer has done, pool your resources together and scratch out a check and build your own nirvana.

[DaleDivine]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Unless it is broken in the up position then it is going to come down.

Gates into a neighborhood come down between each and every vehicle. Yes, it is possible to tailgate someone and maybe make it through the gate but it will be coming down on you.

Gates out of a neighborhood are activated by a sensor (in the ground or a light beam, I don't know). If you are close enough behind the car in front of you then it will usually sense your vehicle and keep the gate up for you. If you are not close enough then the gate will come down. If you are unsure, watch the arm for two seconds and you will either see it move or not. Really very simple.

Gates don't always come down after the first vehicle. What about all of the work trucks in TV with trailers. They make it through ok...