The OP was asking about the diamond lanes. They are clearly marked for carts and bicycles, NOT walkers/runners/dogs, etc. At least on Morse they are. They are not multi-modal paths.

I suspect that may just be to keep things simple, rather than having to add "and runners and walkers" every time. After all, there are many cart paths that have white posts at the start that say "No Cars", but if you drove a truck up that cart path and argued that they weren't specifically banned...

Thanks for all the feedback. I was half afraid to come back and read this thread, I was expecting to get blasted for my OP. I appreciate that even the runners gave me a break. I agree that vehicle drivers should look both ways (even when turning right). I did, in fact, glance to my right a couple of times while I sat at the stop sign and I never saw her coming, but even so, because I was focused on the traffic to my left, I started to move forward before making sure that no one was coming from my right or directly in front of me and that was my fault.

The problem is, I’ve lived here now for almost a year, and I realize the potential dangers out there and I work very hard at driving carefully and being considerate of everyone else on the road whether they are driving a vehicle or on foot. And even so, in a split second, I almost made what could have been a fatal mistake. In my scenario, I had just barely touched the gas pedal before I saw her and was easily able to stop. Someone else might have hit the gas harder and not been able to stop. A new visitor might not even realize that there are runners frequently coming from their right. I know that during the first few hours of my first visit here, I *assumed* that the diamond lanes were for carts only, and it wasn’t until I had driven around for awhile that I even realized there were pedestrians using the lane.

We must all be so careful out there no matter our mode of transportation.

What to do?
 

Twice in two days, I have driven north on Rio Grande Ave in my golf cart in the golf cart lane. The traffic was heavy and both times the walkers and the runner stayed in the middle of the golf cart lane. I had cars on my left, a curb on my right. Yesterday two walkers looking at me walking toward me and today a runner looking at me running toward me. The only thing I could do was stop and hope the cart behind me didn't rear end me. Today this runner after he ran past me shouted at me.

What to do?

A runner on Canal was waving a cart in front of me and me off expecting us to pull left into the roadway so he could continue.

I do not think it is legal to leave the diamond lane until it merges with the road such as Canal at O'Dell, unless of course for a hazard, etc. However I do not wish to move left onto the roadway and risk being rearended by a car. Runners/pedestrians mistakenly believe that they are very visible but for myriad reasons they are not always visible which can create a sudden and abrupt need to pull left into the roadway to avoid colliding with them.


Frankly i don't care what is easier on their feet it is a dangerous practice to continue to allow pedestrian onto a roadway and it must be stopped before someone gets hurt

No cart path, no diamond lane, just the road!
 

So what is your solution for an area like mine, where we all have to use the road? No cart path, no diamond lane, no nothing ------ and we all manage to get along just fine ..................

I live in an area where there are no sidewalks, what do you suggest I do?
Are we all in such a hurry that we can't be a little patient and move over for walkers/runners if it is safe and runners/walkers can move too if they see it is not safe for the carts to move into traffic. Come on Villagers, be nice, be considerate and keep smiling!

As is so common in this sort of thread, it starts with someone doing something wrong then trying to blame the other person, who is in the right.

Here, the motorist failed to look both ways, yet blames the runner for appearing out of nowhere!

Soon all motorists are detailing the close calls they've had, and demanding that those who aren't using a motor should keep off the roads.

Human nature - don't you just love it?

Madelaine: Without knowing what road you are referencing and its conditions, lighting, etc I can respond. However the streets I referenced in my post all have diamond lanes and hence carry heavy traffic.

Your post has caused me to further inquire with various police departments as to the legalities.

This issue is not about rights as it is about safety

Well if you are not sure about walkers or runners,the best thing to do is just stop and let them pass.No big thing......................

In all due respect apparently you do not travel before dawn or after dusk. I cannot tell you how many times these folks simply disapper because of oncoming headlights, shubs, dark clothing, bends in the road or cartpath, etc. And in addition we haven't even discussed the various distraction such as critters cutting out in front of you, etc.

Try locating a runner/pedestrian in a tunnel before dawn....Good luck with that ...they are simply coming out of nowhere. I blame The Villages because they know all of this because they designed it and yet they continue to ignore it.

Finally ask yourself this question: Would you design a multi-modal path that would place vehicles, bikes, pedestrian, etc together? I think it is madness

All very good points

Bigger wins !

Since the title of the thread contains "in the diamond lanes", I'm going to reply to your post assuming the walkers/runners you mention here are in the diamond lane.

How many times does it have to be stated here, that golf carts coming along at 19.5 mph in the diamond lane cannot just swerve out to the left and into the car lane to go around an oncoming walker, because there are cars and trucks BESIDE the golf car going 30 mph, and more are coming up behind those??

And the cart cannot just stop in the golf lane and wait for the walker to pass, because the cart will most likely get rear-ended and could cause a chain pile-up of golf carts!!

Walkers/Runners do not belong in the diamond lanes!! Period! Why do people think they can walk/run in 20 mph VEHICLE traffic??

Add to this a guy I witnessed jogging on Morse just north of Havana. The guy was heading north in the southbound car traffic lane and 20 to 30 feet to his left is a nice asphalt cart path. No diamond on this section of Morse. This occurred this past December on a very nice day at about 4:00 in the afternoon. Talk about taking his life in his own hands. But than again he was at least running towards the heavy traffic so I guess he thought it was okay. Not too bright.

VG