[JoMar]

Originally Posted by PennBF

I was one that was strongly in favor of striping on the sides and in the center of the paths similar as to what the high paid engineers recommend and have done on all of the major highways and most side roads. I realized that was not going to happen in The Villages because of bias by biker, walkers and last but not least the Village Management. Given this and the fact that I am responsible for my own safety I had lights installed on our cart that will highlight the sides of the paths and improve the vision for the center. It is not cheap but safety is usually not cheap, (e.g burgler systems, external lighting, etc.etc.). It is sad
that all cannot have the same level of safety on the cart paths at a cost of approximately 75 cents per household every 5 years. OH WELL

Ah, a non biased view but one where the poster has taken responsibility for his own safety which is what we should all do. Good for you. Now if we could find a way to get the others to do the same thing.......rather that put our personal safety on the shoulders of someone else.

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by PennBF

I have actually heard some of them speak on the subject and still don't clearly understand their objections and justification. It was so convoluted and lacking in good logic that I gave up. I did not mention that I was appointed by the Mayor
of a significantly sized city to their Parking Authority.This subject only came up at Authority Meetings as a "matter of fact" that appropriate street would have good striping and other traffic safety requirements. I am personally at a loss to understand how there can be any justification to deny proper and complete striping in The Villages on what could be considered reduced sized roads for vehicles called golf carts. There are probably in excess of 60,000 in The Villages. As mentioned in my previous note I gave up and modified our Cart to reflect enough complete lighting to ensure safety at night and in the rain.
All anyone has to do is to go out on the Turnpike and note the painting and striping. In fact on most side roads around The Villages there is a consistency in center stripes. I gave up and stopped trying to influence the decision as I am responsible for our own safety and there is too much bias out there.

Public streets = private Multi Modal paths. Now there's a new approach.

[billethkid]

I am not sure there is any value to marking the outside edges.
What is the worst that can happen, run off onto the grass?

[dotti105]

Originally Posted by billethkid

I am not sure there is any value to marking the outside edges.
What is the worst that can happen, run off onto the grass?

If it was just grass that would not be a problem, but often there are large green utility boxes, trees, thick (ouch) shrubs, fences etc that are very difficult to see at night, in fog, rain etc.

I think that is the issue!!

[tomwed]

The paths as they are, are fine for me.

I do have a suggestion concerning street signs. When I am driving or biking to an exec course I'm looking for Nobleton or Buttonwood or some other cross street so I am reading the signs. What would make things easier is by placing a white wiffle-ball at the top of the street post on any cross street that leads to an exec course. It could be painted the color of the street post if white seems obtrusive.

[Polar Bear]

Originally Posted by billethkid

I am not sure there is any value to marking the outside edges.
What is the worst that can happen, run off onto the grass?

Oh my. I totally agree with dotti

At 20 or 25+ MPH, I can see a lot of potential bad from running off the path. I would consider myself very lucky if inadvertently I ran off the path (for whatever reason) and was able to recover and get back on the path with nothing bad happening.

[mickey100]

Is there a documented accident history of golf cart accidents at night that justify this striping?

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by mickey100

Is there a documented accident history of golf cart accidents at night that justify this striping?

That's a good point.

I'm not sure where I stand on this issue.

On one hand, I think to myself that all of the major roads and highways have striping.

But then I think that none of the 25-30 mph road are. Since multi modal paths have a speed limit of 19.9 mph is striping necessary? Is it overkill? Have we had a lot of head on collisions?

But I do think that the paths were made to narrow so maybe striping and reflectors are a good idea. But then I have no idea what the cost would be.

Evidently some people here consider that this is a no brainer and it's obvious that striping is necessary. Personally, I've never had any problem seeing the edges of the road at night or avoiding running head on into a golf cart moving in the opposite direction. So I question the necessity although I do understand the concern.

[PennBF]

There is a saying among people who install home alarms. The first time you really realize the need for a home alarm is the day after you have been robbed. I view the striping the same way. The first time you will support having them is the day after you have an accident. Today we were driving our cart to Spanish Springs and when we went through the tunnel by 446 we came very close to hitting a gentleman that was walking thru the tunnel without any reflector, etc. We actually swerved to avoid him and if another cart was coming we could have hit it. I said to the gentleman that it would be better if he wore something that stood out and his response was an expletive that can't be put in the note. I was polite and obviously he really was not a "gentleman". I wish him no harm and hope he thinks about it again and decides on the side of safety. It takes all kinds to make a world.

[DonH57]

I'm not sure of the stats of cart to cart accidents or carts and curbs. I do know that on some paths during or just where it rained some edges are covered by puddles of rainwater. Since I added lights aimed low to the pavement on our cart it's made seeing the cart path edges easier to see. The only additions of reflectors I would like to see are where the cart paths split. I don't see center line painting usefully but I think certain areas should have edge markings. I'm curious to know if any of the research by district reps every drove on the paths at night and in the rain to get exact conditions of what others are complaining about in order to make a determination.

[lynne]

Forget the striping - do something about the people who have souped-up their carts to go more than the legal 20 MPH and those that drink too much and think they know what they are doing. Striping the paths aren't going to help if people are negligent. It's just like driving your car on the road - drive according to the conditions. If it's raining, slow down - if you can't see good, get more lights installed on your cart. It's not rocket science, it's common sense. Or, did some Villager's leave that up north?

[DonH57]

Originally Posted by lynne

Forget the striping - do something about the people who have souped-up their carts to go more than the legal 20 MPH and those that drink too much and think they know what they are doing. Striping the paths aren't going to help if people are negligent. It's just like driving your car on the road - drive according to the conditions. If it's raining, slow down - if you can't see good, get more lights installed on your cart. It's not rocket science, it's common sense. Or, did some Villager's leave that up north?

I attended the meeting solely for trying to understand how the villages system works and listen to people on the subject of golf cart safety. I was extremely disappointed when reading comments in the V=[l@#$% N%@&. I found that most people didn't or wouldn't understand what the engineer was trying to express about striping the cart paths. As far as I'm concerned you can stripe and paint whatever on the paths till the cows come home but you can't fix stupid. It may come down at some point to have an agreement between villages authorities and local law enforcement to enforce speeding and wreckless operation. The only reason people have souped up carts is because they know they can get away with it. I personally don't care when I get passed but when it happens on a blind curve and the idiot thinks I should be the one to slam on my brakes to save his butt. Be careful out there.

[lynne]

Originally Posted by DonH57

I attended the meeting solely for trying to understand how the villages system works and listen to people on the subject of golf cart safety. I was extremely disappointed when reading comments in the V=[l@#$% N%@&. I found that most people didn't or wouldn't understand what the engineer was trying to express about striping the cart paths. As far as I'm concerned you can stripe and paint whatever on the paths till the cows come home but you can't fix stupid. It may come down at some point to have an agreement between villages authorities and local law enforcement to enforce speeding and wreckless operation. The only reason people have souped up carts is because they know they can get away with it. I personally don't care when I get passed but when it happens on a blind curve and the idiot thinks I should be the one to slam on my brakes to save his butt. Be careful out there.

Until there is a serious accident or a law suit TV isn't going to have local law enforcement involved in controlling the situation. TV does everything to avoid conflict. Just read "the happy paper" every morning. It's time to inspect golf carts on a random basis and confiscate illegal equipment. The word would get around real fast. Too bad in an adult community it might have to come to that.

[Ralphy]

I wonder if this expert engineer is the same engineer who designed the blind 90 degree tunnel entrances and exits. I started pulling into one the other day and found myself facing a walker in the middle of the right lane looking at me. Good thing I am a defensive driver who was driving slowly and was able to stop.

[DonH57]

Originally Posted by lynne

Until there is a serious accident or a law suit TV isn't going to have local law enforcement involved in controlling the situation. TV does everything to avoid conflict. Just read "the happy paper" every morning. It's time to inspect golf carts on a random basis and confiscate illegal equipment. The word would get around real fast. Too bad in an adult community it might have to come to that.

I agree. None of us want to be treated like feral children but there are a few in every village.