[English Ivy]

Originally Posted by Happinow

I was very surprised, upon my last visit, that bicyclists and walkers were allowed in the diamond lane. I thought that that lane was for carts only. Not that I blame joggers for wanting to jog in that lane, it's just there's already so much going on already without adding more confusion in that lane. For what it is, a golf cart community, I think TV could have done a much better job laying things out. I would have been nice to have all cart paths off the main roads and maybe put a diamond lane for bikers and walkers along side the main roads as the cart road is now. It seems there's so much to pay attention to while driving there. I don't think I've ever driven in a place where there's so much concentration needed when driving. That seems like an accident waiting to happen in a retirement community. Safety should be the number one concern. Having said that, I still love it there!

It is what it is and it's not going to get any better so you might as well get used to it. We've been here for five years and it's gotten so much worse in the last couple years. I'm afraid to imagine what winters are going to be like around here in a few more years.

[rubicon]

For pedestrians on cartspath before sunrise and after sunset know that bends in the path, over grown shubbery and headlights from carts/cars blinds golf cart drivers view of you irrespective of what you are wearing or if you have a blinking light...so I would consider being on a cartpath with the benefit of daylight when walking/running.

For pedestrians using diamond travel lanes whether you are walking/running with or against the flow of traffic you are causing me to cross over the solid white line and into the flow of automobile traffic when in fact just a few feet away is a sidewalk or if you prefer grass to run on. Golf carts are legally required to stay within that white solid line.

IMHO it should be illegal for a pedestrian to use a diamond lane. Somebody is going to get seriously hurt.

[cybermuda]

The problem with any discussion like this is that it is human nature for me to want what is best for me.

When walking, I want to be able to use the cart paths and multi-modal lanes.

When driving my golf-cart I want all pedestrians off my stretch of the tarmac, and that goes for bikers and roller-bladers too!

And when driving my car I just know I own the whole road, and those golf-carts are just a menace.

Certainly, runners/walkers should use sidewalks and grass verges whenever practical, but I know from experience that (a) most roads do not have sidewalks and (b) many of the grass verges are uneven or sloping, and are thus uncomfortable or dangerous.

Slow down, share the road, be aware of ALL other road-users.

[John_W]

This morning on St. Charles cart lane there were two woman on bicycles riding in tandem and each one had a dog tethered to the bike via a leash. The dog is running alongside the bike on the white line only a couple of feet from passing cars. I've seen three different woman doing this on St. Charles over the past six months, but today was the first time seeing two together.

It's only a matter of time before one of these dogs will be hit by a car and killed, which is going to be terrible for the driver and the innocent dog that has the ignorant owner. Yes, it's great to keep your dog healthy but alive is much better. I think next time I see this I'm going to say something, but usually I'm in too much shock, it's really quite a sight.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by John_W

This morning on St. Charles cart lane there were two woman on bicycles riding in tandem and each one had a dog tethered to the bike via a leash. The dog is running alongside the bike on the white line only a couple of feet from passing cars. I've seen three different woman doing this on St. Charles over the past six months, but today was the first time seeing two together.

It's only a matter of time before one of these dogs will be hit by a car and killed, which is going to be terrible for the driver and the innocent dog that has the ignorant owner. Yes, it's great to keep your dog healthy but alive is much better. I think next time I see this I'm going to say something, but usually I'm in too much shock, it's really quite a sight.

You are exactly right. Seeing this would make me think "roadkill waiting to happen" and it would be my worst nightmare to even imagine hitting a dog like this, which in turn would pull the dumb bicyclist down and under cars' wheels too. It would be a horrific sight never to be forgotten. I don't know how people who do such things will ever wake up.

[AJ32162]

Originally Posted by rubicon

For pedestrians using diamond travel lanes whether you are walking/running with or against the flow of traffic you are causing me to cross over the solid white line and into the flow of automobile traffic when in fact just a few feet away is a sidewalk or if you prefer grass to run on. Golf carts are legally required to stay within that white solid line.

Then it must be illegal to pass another golf cart?

[paulandjean]

I have no problem with walkers,runners, cycles who are in the streets.Just a little give and take.

[billethkid]

best comment paulandjean!!!
And most people do, but there will always be a few no matter what or where.

And for those who have to go over 20, if not here maybe in another thread....why? Think about it going 25-28 mph puts you a few minutes ahead at the end of AN HOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!! So what could be so needed to risk going faster than everybody else to save a minute or two???

btk

[downeaster]

"Solid White Line
A solid white line marks the right edge of the roadway or separates lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. You may travel in the same direction on both sides of this line, but you should not cross the line unless you must do so to avoid a hazard."

Copied from Florida Drivers Handbook.

I would think moving over to avoid a hazard would include moving over to avoid hitting a pedestrian or bicyclist.

I would expect pedestrians to use sidewalks where available. Where not available I move over, slow down or even stop depending on the traffic behind me. A lot of our pedestrians no longer possess the agility to hop up on the curb.

[liere]

This thread reminds me of what happened last year...came down to TV to visit friends who were residents for 8 years. They were going to let me use their golf cart and took me out for a test run. I was driving on on of the streets and my friend said, "you see those two people walking towards us, right?" I said, "I sure do"....as we got a little closer he said, "you do see those people, right? I said, "yep, I do." As we were approaching them he yelled, "you see those people?????" and I said, "aren't they going to go on the curb?" He said "they may or may not"....so at this point I had people walking in front of me and a car on my left side, so I simply stopped. I got dirty looks from the walkers. It made for a good story when I got back home and told my friends of my first use of a golf cart.

[downeaster]

Originally Posted by Skybo

I understand why runners and walkers prefer to run/walk on the asphalt as opposed to the concrete sidewalks. And I also understand why they run/walk in the opposite direction of traffic, as we were all taught as children. But IMO, here in TV, runners and walkers should not be using the diamond lanes in general, but if they do, they shouldn’t go against traffic, and if they do go against traffic...they should be the ones to yield to vehicular traffic.

Today I almost ran over a woman who ran in front of me at an intersection. I was at a Stop sign, waiting to turn right. Traffic was heavy and I (looking to the left) was waiting for my chance to turn right. When I finally saw a break in the traffic I started my turn, and there was a woman, running through the intersection from my right (in the diamond lane), just a couple of feet in front of me.

I hit the brake and she glared at me and threw her arms up...like “what the hell are you doing?” It scared me to death. I hope it scared her even more.

So folks who run in the diamond lane...how about making eye contact with vehicle drivers and making sure that they see you before crossing in front of them. That's how runners do it everywhere else...and it's probably even more important here in TV. Just saying.

A little off topic, but, thanks for reintroducing "diamond lane" Skybo. I realize it has been used before and I hope it gets more use. We can relegate "cart path" to golf courses and go with "multi modal" and "diamond".

[REDCART]

One night this week while waiting to make a right turn on Odell Circle, we saw a golf cart with a car closely following in the diamond lane. The car wasn't half in the lane but was all the way inside the lane. They then both made a left hand turn from the right side diamond lane. So we have to believe they were visitors who had no clue about TV's golf cart lanes are not for cars, or that they needed to merge with traffic before executing the left hand turn. There's a private golf cart rental on that street where they made the left hand turn, and so it may be they were returning the golf cart and the gc driver told the car driver "just follow me" but not literally. We've seen cars wander over the line but this was the first time we've seen a car actually in the "diamond" lane. Another reason for runners to avoid the diamond lane.

[784caroline]

Believe it or not this JUST happened to me. Driving in a diamond lane and a bike rider is riding against traffic in the diamond lane BUT there just happens to be cars in the normal lanes. SO everybody is comming right at her and she has a problem. She gets off the bike, goes to the curb for she has no other place to go, allowing the golf carts and car to pass safety. I would hope her own actions will tell her she was not doing the right thing.

[REDCART]

Originally Posted by 784caroline

Believe it or not this JUST happened to me. Driving in a diamond lane and a bike rider is riding against traffic in the diamond lane BUT there just happens to be cars in the normal lanes. SO everybody is comming right at her and she has a problem. She gets off the bike, goes to the curb for she has no other place to go, allowing the golf carts and car to pass safety. I would hope her own actions will tell her she was not doing the right thing.

Two years ago I had a golf cart coming straight at me on Canal Street with two women. They may have been from the UK. Cars started hollering at them and they crossed over to the correct side of the road. Maybe your bicyclist was also from the UK?

[red tail]

Originally Posted by billethkid

best comment paulandjean!!!
And most people do, but there will always be a few no matter what or where.

And for those who have to go over 20, if not here maybe in another thread....why? Think about it going 25-28 mph puts you a few minutes ahead at the end of AN HOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!! So what could be so needed to risk going faster than everybody else to save a minute or two???

btk

then why get so excited?