A speed bump on 30A... As citizens strive to lower speed limit, bigger plans emerge | 30a, speed, change - Local News - WaltonSun.com
A SPEED BUMP ON 30A: As citizens strive to lower speed limit, bigger plans emerge
January 08, 2010 10:30 AM
By Matt Algarin
Will 45 be a thing of the past on 30A?
Friends of Scenic 30A and members of the public gathered on Jan. 4 to discuss lowering the speed limit on 30A to 35 mph for the entire 18.5 mile stretch. The change would let low-speed vehicles, like street-modified golf carts, share the roadway with cars.
Bill Freeze, Chairperson for the Friends, believes the change will have nothing but positive end results.
?These beaches have been voted as one of the 12 best places to see in 2010.? Freeze said. ?We have noticed that we need to educate the tourists and the residents about what we have here in paradise.?
Freeze added that LSVs have to be registered and licensed, which will provide additional income for the county.
About two dozen supportive residents and industry experts gathered to hear the proposals made by the group.
In order for an electric cart or LSV to share the roadway with cars, the speed limit can be no greater than 35 mph. There are currently four miles of roadway on 30A where the speed limit is 45 mph.
In addition to allowing LSVs to traverse the roadway, supporters say the change would help to alleviate some of the traffic by encouraging motorists who are in a hurry to use the feeder roads that run north and south to get to their destinations.
Graham Fountain, chief of special operations for the Sheriff?s Office, clarified that this only pertains to electric carts, not golf carts.
?Because it looks like a duck, talks like a duck and quacks like a duck, but it?s a goose,? Fountain said while describing that anyone who is caught driving a gas-powered cart on 30A would be ticketed.
?The sheriff?s office will be taking a neutral position on the topic,? Fountain said of the speed-limit change. ?We haven?t pulled traffic (data) to see how many crashes involved these types of vehicles.?
?We do have some concerns because 30A is a little atypical than the usual roads you may do this on,? Fountain added. ?When the building starts up again on 30A you are going to have a lot more dump trucks and mixers going up and down the road.?
Tim Paul, who is a former district five commissioner and developer of Topsail Village on 30A, said changing the speed limit should be the first step.
?I think the whole idea is to have a complete system,? Pauls said. ?You shouldn?t have to only be able to use your LSV on 30A. You should actually be able to make a useful trip with it.?
Tom Stein, the Director for the Friends of Scenic 30A, agreed.
Stein said he ?has always had a lifetime interest in public transit and was a cable car grip man in San Francisco for four years.
?With my background in public transit and in addition to living here for the past 30 years or so watching the traffic load increase here on 30A,? Stein said, ?it has led me to the conclusion that some kind of public transit needs to be established on 30A.?
Stein said that the time is imminent and that something has to happen now.
The Friends of Scenic 30A will be holding another public forum on the first Monday in February to discuss updates on traffic crashes and the price tag for redesigning 30A for a bike path and low speed vehicles.
Replies
285
Beach Fanatic
I have read it in a couple of different threads so far that this is being "pushed" by some higher ups or business. If you read the article this was a public workshop to discuss the idea, not push it on anyone, hosted by the Friends of 30-A. "The Friends of 30-A" is a group of citizens and business that live and are located along 30-A, not some government entity that has a secret mission. They have done a lot of work to help improve 30-A and we can thank them for 30-A being designated a Scenic Highway.
I don't think they are trying to create business for any particular company. I think they are trying to alleviate some of the traffic issues we have. The resoning is, if you allow LSV's to drive the entire distance of the road it will be that many fewer cars on the road.
I don't personally like the idea, because I don't want to be stuck behind them. Just picture what the scene would be like of an accident with an LSV and any automobile. But that was the intent of the meeting, and they are having another meeting so everyone can go and give their 2 cents there.
Out of cuirousity, Robertsondavies, were you at the meeting to push your viewpoint?
I don't think they are trying to create business for any particular company. I think they are trying to alleviate some of the traffic issues we have. The resoning is, if you allow LSV's to drive the entire distance of the road it will be that many fewer cars on the road.
I don't personally like the idea, because I don't want to be stuck behind them. Just picture what the scene would be like of an accident with an LSV and any automobile. But that was the intent of the meeting, and they are having another meeting so everyone can go and give their 2 cents there.
Out of cuirousity, Robertsondavies, were you at the meeting to push your viewpoint?
SoWal Expert
Beach Fanatic
Another point is that Walton and Okaloosa County have a committee to research how to make traffic flow better and to find an alternate route due to congestion. So my question is: Why would the county allow LSV's to congest an already overly impacted county road, scenic or not. And, emergency vehicle response time is another concern.
Beach Fanatic
Al Gore invented the golf cart!
SoWal Expert
I'm willing to keep the small tiny stretches west of Grayton industrialized as major thoroughfares at 45 MPH, not 35 MPH, if that will apease the anti LSVers as a compromise. It's literally just the 1.2 mile stretch at Watersound that is at issue.
How much time do folks actually save by going 45 MPH for 1.2 miles, instead of 35 MPH? Any physics or algebra majors here? I'd like to put a number on it. Is it 10 seconds? 15 seconds? I'll be the over under is 8 seconds?
I am not anti-LSV, I am anti-LSV in this particular circumstance/on this particular road. We all know that it's not a matter of 45 mph for 1.2 miles, it is a matter of 25 MPH or less, underage drivers, unrestrained kids, and a BAD mix of vehicles!
Banned
If an LSV is losing its charge and slows down below 25 mph it should be legal for a motorized vehicle (read car) to give it a little "nudge" to help it along it's merry way.
SWGB
And why...are greenies so obnoxious??? The mentality baffles me and it hinders honest and open debate. Some of the golf carts on the road are owned by people who have invested in their second home McMansion, with a swimming pool, irrigation system and probably on a golf course that does not have a recycling irrigation system and pollutes our lakes with pesticides and fertilizers. So the going green argument is BS.
As a "greenie", I take exception to that. These things are billed as green, but are in fact not. Some people think that if a vehicle is electric it's going to magically save the Earth. In this case it's not as it promotes joy riding and non use of truely green modes of transportation like biking or heaven forbid walking.
Beach Lover
How about improving and widening the multi-use path along the 45 mph stretches so that it could accomodated both low speed electric vehicles and "high speed" bikes that would ordinarily be on the road?
SoWal Insider
I think golf carts on 30-A is an incredibly bad idea. There are more than a few issues with the existing bike path, that I can't forsee it ever getting improved enough to make it viable for golf cart use. The intersection of 30-A and 395 would have to be resolved as well as all places that the bike path crosses 30-A. The number one problem with the bike path is that it needs to be at least one car length away from 30-A at all places that roads intersect 30-A to make it possible for drivers to see all traffic before turning onto the 30-A. Our County fixing this problem? I don't think so. Let the golf carts stay in their little developements and everybody's fine.
Beach Fanatic
Just trying to be provocative---
does anyone know why they are
called golf carts?
does anyone know why they are
called golf carts?
Beach Fanatic
I'll answer- because they are driven on golf courses by golfers.
Beach Fanatic
some things are best left as is, 30A is at the top of the list.
SoWal Expert
Mama Scooterbug summed it up very well: "Why would you want those things on the HIGHWAY?"
Papa Scooterbug thinks it's a great idea. He wants to move down here, drive a cart all over pissing people off, and then when it gets too unbearably hot for him (early April), jump in his cart and head up I-65 (using the apron/shoulder for safety of course). :roll:
Papa Scooterbug thinks it's a great idea. He wants to move down here, drive a cart all over pissing people off, and then when it gets too unbearably hot for him (early April), jump in his cart and head up I-65 (using the apron/shoulder for safety of course). :roll:
SoWal Guide
As a "greenie", I take exception to that. These things are billed as green, but are in fact not. Some people think that if a vehicle is electric it's going to magically save the Earth. In this case it's not as it promotes joy riding and non use of truely green modes of transportation like biking or heaven forbid walking.
I've never thought of a golf carts or any small recreational vehicle as "green" in any sense. its just a fun travel toy when used off the golf course. maybe its practical for some folks. but it ain't green by any means.
Beach Fanatic
I've never thought of a golf carts or any small recreational vehicle as "green" in any sense. its just a fun travel toy when used off the golf course. maybe its practical for some folks. but it ain't green by any means.
y'all should write your legislative rep, and push for repeal of the LSV statute if you think that's the case. Florida's LSV statute is viewed by me as progressive, but you have all pointed out a couple exceptions to the rule of them being green... like the point about coal fueled electical capacity in Florida. I agree coal fired needs to go too, and Florida is a follower in that regard. 30% of Florida's electricity is coal fired, 45% nat gas, 13 percent nuclear, and the remainder from other sources. 30% is unacceptably high.
This (the LSV) statute was debated on this very issue in the FLorida legislature, meaningful debate. The evidence the scientists brought in was overwhelmingly supportive that LSV's were "better" .... from a carbon perspective... but your point stands.
I implore you to follow your heart, and go to Tallahassee and push for repeal the LSV statute...make Walton County proud.
Beach Fanatic
If an LSV is losing its charge and slows down below 25 mph it should be legal for a motorized vehicle (read car) to give it a little "nudge" to help it along it's merry way.
Would you do that to a cyclist too? I know you're joking kinda, but i mean come on. We're talking about a 1.2 Mile stretch of 45 MPH pavement. It was suggested I move to Sandestin for lowering the speed limit on that stretch LOL
Beach Fanatic
some things are best left as is, 30A is at the top of the list.
YouTube- Reefer Madness
love the subtitles
the world is a going stark crazy with these youngins, with their pot smokin and their LSD errr LSV embracing ways.
damn the solar panels... did you know petroleum fossil fuel was used in the production of dem damn Polysicon solar panels!!!!!!!!!!!! Its true I tell ya, TRUE!!!!
Edited
Beach Fanatic
I'll answer- because they are driven on golf courses by golfers.
Do you know why they're called LSVs? 'Geo'
Beach Fanatic
Do you know why they're called LSVs? 'Geo'
OK, I'll answer too... probably just some lawyer/legislator-on-the-take-from-EZGO Inc. acronym, to make it sound greener than it really is.... that riding electric golf cart thingy, instead of Nissan Armada, to get nails done.
Beach Lover
RAISE DA LIMITS!!!!
.......all the blue hairs are slowin me up already as it is!
If we were going any slower, we'd be going backwards!
.......all the blue hairs are slowin me up already as it is!
If we were going any slower, we'd be going backwards!
Edited
Admin
Would you do that to a cyclist too? I know you're joking kinda, but i mean come on. We're talking about a 1.2 Mile stretch of 45 MPH pavement. It was suggested I move to Sandestin for lowering the speed limit on that stretch LOL
For the record there are about 4 miles of 45mph on Scenic 30A.
Beach Fanatic
Would you do that to a cyclist too? I know you're joking kinda, but i mean come on. We're talking about a 1.2 Mile stretch of 45 MPH pavement. It was suggested I move to Sandestin for lowering the speed limit on that stretch LOL
It's not just the 4 miles of 45 mph; its the 17 miles or so of getting stuck behind some LSV going at its top speed of 25 mph.
Beach Fanatic
It's not just the 4 miles of 45 mph; its the 17 miles or so of getting stuck behind some LSV going at its top speed of 25 mph.
Exactly. So what many of you would like to see, is a Walton County rollback of the LSVability on the 17 miles or so that LSV's are allowed on currently,, not just being against making the last 4 miles uniform.
I don't think the areas west of Grayton need to be reduced, so I'd confine my request/interest as the 1.2 miles alongside Watersound/Deer Lake Park. Don't need the other 2.8 miles down by the school & hwy 98 etc, or west of Grayton anywhere, although a few may like that reduced too - let's keep those 2.8 miles of refreshing 45 MPH traffic for now.
My own opinion, subject to change, is it would make the resort, a more cohesive resort area, from Grayton to Rosemary, each community having its own flavor, but each reachable by many modes of transport, including some fairly environmentally light footed options.
This morning, I'm reading in the WSJ, about some of the concept cars coming out. BMW is introducing a Beach Mini, which would be perfect for the area, and of course would go well more than 45MPH.
I'll reiterate my agreement with all that slow Golf Carts, should not be on 30A at all, that they have to attain a minimum speed requirement and road worthiness which ought to be strictly enforced over time. Obviously a good number of you have encountered the bad golf cart, driven by idiots, going way too slow, slowing you down scenario. I've not encountered that problem yet (for me I'm typically slowed down by traffic volume or bikers) but have to acknowledge that it must be a real issue that needs to be fully addressed
Beach Fanatic
Your objective is obvious and selfish. You want the speed limit lowered, it appears just in your community so you can drive a golf cart on 30A. I don't see the LSV thing as progressive for our community until the LSV's are modified for speed and safety.
Admin
This morning, I'm reading in the WSJ, about some of the concept cars coming out. BMW is introducing a Beach Mini, which would be perfect for the area, and of course would go well more than 45MPH.
That is to my earlier point that we will have real electric and alternative-energy vehicle alternatives in a few years. In the intervening years, do we want to populate SoWal with small, slow carts?
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