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
All I know is that when I pull out to scenic 98 in destin, at 7:30 am, i shouldnt have to worry about ma and pa kettle checking out the scenery at 15 mph. all I ask is that you GO THE FREAKING SPEED LIMIT AT 35. i had a man point at the MPH sign as he was driving (he was probably 95) and it said 35. he was going 20. like I was doing something wrong by tailgating him. JUST GOOOOO.... we have JOBSS!!!!!
I have to agree. It does get quite irritating to be behind someone sight seeing and pointing and looking and going sooooo slow. Some of us actually do have places to go.
I hate to see what it will do to the businesses on 30A if they pass this because I will head for 98 as soon as possible.
Beach Crab
Good question
30-Ashopper,
No, mopeds are not included in the LSV classification. Under federal laws an LSV is a four wheeled vehicle that must do a min. speed of 20MPH and not exceed 25MPH. Florida statutes have narrowed that definition to "electric four wheeled vehicles" thus not allowing any gas powered carts to become street legal. Florida narrowed its definition due to the fact that the state is viewing the LSV as another tool to help improve the environment and our (humans) impact on it. The fact that FL has not allowed gas LSV's should at least help w/ you concerns about noise polution.
Do LSVs include mopeds? I know the tourists love them, but they've become an eye sore / noise nuisance on scenic 98.
30-Ashopper,
No, mopeds are not included in the LSV classification. Under federal laws an LSV is a four wheeled vehicle that must do a min. speed of 20MPH and not exceed 25MPH. Florida statutes have narrowed that definition to "electric four wheeled vehicles" thus not allowing any gas powered carts to become street legal. Florida narrowed its definition due to the fact that the state is viewing the LSV as another tool to help improve the environment and our (humans) impact on it. The fact that FL has not allowed gas LSV's should at least help w/ you concerns about noise polution.
Edited
Beach Crab
I appreciate your viewpoint and you posting your opinions, even if a tad aggressive. A lone voice need not be any louder to be heard on this forum.
I admit to never having thought about LSVs before this thread, or have any knowledge of the statute or what is going on in the rest of Florida.
LSVs seem to make sense in the homogenous environment of a planned community. They don't make nearly as much sense on a 17-mile long county highway connecting diverse communities, many of which aren't LSV friendly.
The green argument holds little water because SoWal is a destination for families in SUVs. Adding LSVs for them after they get here just adds to the drain of raw materials for LSV production, the energy costs of LSV manufacture and operation, and the pollution and land filling disposal of the vehicle at some point in the future.
When SoWal starts getting planned communities for permanent residents, then maybe the green argument will make sense.
Sorry Kurt, but the green argument is valid! Yes the family may come down in a SUV but if we can reduce the emissions in the air produced by that SUV by having it parked for a week we have done good. Some people seem to be forgetting the fragile eco-systems that surround us in Walton County and how detrimental air pollution is to the plant and animal life in the area. Take into consideration that Southern Co. (Gulf Power) is in the beginning processes of converting several of their local power plants to burn bio-mass as opposed to fossil fuels. Combine a "clean power plant" w/ a no emissions vehicle and we have a start to some of our environmental issues.
Robert Davies I have your back! Even though I will catch flack because I have a vested interest in all of this.
SoWal Guide
This entire debate is summed up in one very simple, common sense idea. And that is: Hwy 30A is a highway with cars, trucks, SUVs, and many out of town drivers, and sometimes it is absolutely congested with motor traffic, bikes and pedestrians on walking path... For the safety of everyone - residents and tourists - keep golf carts, mopeds and anything NOT a real car - off the road.
SAFETY. that is the one and only factor that really needs consideration. I could care less if the speed limit is lowered - maybe it should be in places - for safety reasons. but not to allow carts on the highway - which would only serve to increase danger for everyone.
green is always good. but not at the expense of lives - a big indication that the issue of carts on a highway was never green to start with.
thank you.
SAFETY. that is the one and only factor that really needs consideration. I could care less if the speed limit is lowered - maybe it should be in places - for safety reasons. but not to allow carts on the highway - which would only serve to increase danger for everyone.
green is always good. but not at the expense of lives - a big indication that the issue of carts on a highway was never green to start with.
thank you.
Edited
SoWal Expert
It would be cool if people could come down and have Smart Cars, Tatas, etc. available to use.
That would help with parking & traffic issues, help the environment, and the vehicles would be SAFE - with seatbelts, doors, etc.
That would help with parking & traffic issues, help the environment, and the vehicles would be SAFE - with seatbelts, doors, etc.
Admin
Sorry Kurt, but the green argument is valid! Yes the family may come down in a SUV but if we can reduce the emissions in the air produced by that SUV by having it parked for a week we have done good. Some people seem to be forgetting the fragile eco-systems that surround us in Walton County and how detrimental air pollution is to the plant and animal life in the area. Take into consideration that Southern Co. (Gulf Power) is in the beginning processes of converting several of their local power plants to burn bio-mass as opposed to fossil fuels. Combine a "clean power plant" w/ a no emissions vehicle and we have a start to some of our environmental issues.
Robert Davies I have your back! Even though I will catch flack because I have a vested interest in all of this.
So, no addressing this issue?
Adding LSVs for them after they get here just adds to the drain of raw materials for LSV production, the energy costs of LSV manufacture and operation, and the pollution and land filling disposal of the vehicle at some point in the future.
With India and China poised to add a billion cars I think it is problematic, bu anyone who buys a cart from you and needs to justify their purchase on environmental grounds is OK with me.
kt loo
Stein said, “it has led me to the conclusion that some kind of public transit needs to be established on 30A.”
To me, this is the best thing I took from that original post. Imagine if we had electric or clean CNG-bus shuttles running back and forth on 30A. Most resort areas have something like this. The one I just saw in W. Maui was being used by locals and tourists alike-- $1 a ride. I think it would definitely reduce traffic, pollution, allow teenagers some mobility, and provide a great option for the tourists who fly in to the new airport who don't want to rent a car. Might even cut down on LSV usage. I know I'd use a SoWal shuttle if we had one...
Admin
To me, this is the best thing I took from that original post. Imagine if we had electric or clean CNG-bus shuttles running back and forth on 30A. Most resort areas have something like this. The one I just saw in W. Maui was being used by locals and tourists alike-- $1 a ride. I think it would definitely reduce traffic, pollution, allow teenagers some mobility, and provide a great option for the tourists who fly in to the new airport who don't want to rent a car. Might even cut down on LSV usage. I know I'd use a SoWal shuttle if we had one...
There's KB!
I agree - it is going to take a commitment from the community and government to subsidize it. We are still working on paving roads but it will happen someday. Hopefully they will be alternatively fueled when it does.
Beach Fanatic
This entire debate is summed up in one very simple, common sense idea. And that is: Hwy 30A is a highway with cars, trucks, SUVs, and many out of town drivers, and sometimes it is absolutely congested with motor traffic, bikes and pedestrians on walking path... For the safety of everyone - residents and tourists - keep golf carts, mopeds and anything NOT a real car - off the road.
SAFETY. that is the one and only factor that really needs consideration. I could care less if the speed limit is lowered - maybe it should be in places - for safety reasons. but not to allow carts on the highway - which would only serve to increase danger for everyone.
green is always good. but not at the expense of lives - a big indication that the issue of carts on a highway was never green to start with.
thank you.
Tootsie, if it were ALL ABOUT SAFETY as you say,then logically not only must Bikes not ever use 30A, but 30A should be made a LIMITED ACCESS FREEWAY, in order to Save Lives. This will confine dangerous pedestrian and bike crossings to only two or three spots on 30A, with on ramps and off ramps etc to allow flow, and also this Freeway should have a few elevated sections (i.e. thru seaside and rosemary). This will be SAFER, but is it what we want? Not me, but I think of 30A as a resort area, perhaps because I don't live there. Now you may live there, but if there weren't a lot of folks using 30A as a resort, I'm not sure if 98% of the locals wouldn't live there either. Seems to me the entire economy of South Walton is linked to tourism - but producing memories, not widgets, but I could be wrong, I know there used to be a turpentine industry there.
SoWal Guide
Tootsie, if it were ALL ABOUT SAFETY as you say,then logically not only must Bikes not ever use 30A, but 30A should be made a LIMITED ACCESS FREEWAY, in order to Save Lives. This will confine dangerous pedestrian and bike crossings to only two or three spots on 30A, with on ramps and off ramps etc to allow flow, and also this Freeway should have a few elevated sections (i.e. thru seaside and rosemary). This will be SAFER, but is it what we want? Not me, but I think of 30A as a resort area, perhaps because I don't live there. Now you may live there, but if there weren't a lot of folks using 30A as a resort, I'm not sure if 98% of the locals wouldn't live there either. Seems to me the entire economy of South Walton is linked to tourism - but producing memories, not widgets, but I could be wrong, I know there used to be a turpentine industry there.
30A is not a resort. there are resort towns located here and there along the highway but that doesn't mean golf carts need to travel on the highway. there are really long stretches between developments and beach communities. it is a HIGHWAY for goodness sake. Bikes and pedestrians have their own pathway - separate and apart from the highway.
I should have said that for ME - the primary concern is safety. Good grief - Hwy 30A is not one little resort town. It is several communities along a long stretch of highway. Many full time residents live and work and travel that highway. The many visitors and their children should find safety on that highway as well. we've made good progress in providing a wonderful path for pedestrians and bikers.
If I wanted to use a golf cart in a resort town, I would find an actual resort town that allows them on safe small roads with very low limits. I guess you could ride around in one in Rosemary Beach or Seaside - if those communities allow them and provide places for them to be parked near a beach access - what other reason would there be to ride in a golf cart or lsv? when you get to the beach with your family, you either have your own car or you have rented one. now you want to have two modes of transporation? and you call that green? I don't get it.
I can't imagine a family in town loading up on a golf cart in order to go from Seaside to Grayton Beach for lunch and shopping. not only unsafe as all hell on a highway with cars, construction vehicles and really big delivery and other trucks, but really inefficient way to travel distances over about half a mile or so - with children. I have seen the way some visitors drive around here during peak season - they are in a hurry, don't know where they are going, probably have had a few drinks... I stay away from 30A as much as I can during peak season. I can't imagine putting my children in a golf cart to travel any distance down a highway during peak season in a huge vacation area. totally insane imo.
Beach Fanatic
30A is not a resort. there are resort towns located here and there along the highway but that doesn't mean golf carts need to travel on the highway. there are really long stretches between developments and beach communities. it is a HIGHWAY for goodness sake. Bikes and pedestrians have their own pathway - separate and apart from the highway.
I should have said that for ME - the primary concern is safety. Good grief - Hwy 30A is not one little resort town. It is several communities along a long stretch of highway. Many full time residents live and work and travel that highway. The many visitors and their children should find safety on that highway as well. we've made good progress in providing a wonderful path for pedestrians and bikers.
If I wanted to use a golf cart in a resort town, I would find an actual resort town that allows them on safe small roads with very low limits. I guess you could ride around in one in Rosemary Beach or Seaside - if those communities allow them and provide places for them to be parked near a beach access - what other reason would there be to ride in a golf cart or lsv? when you get to the beach with your family, you either have your own car or you have rented one. now you want to have two modes of transporation? and you call that green? I don't get it.
I can't imagine a family in town loading up on a golf cart in order to go from Seaside to Grayton Beach for lunch and shopping. not only unsafe as all hell on a highway with cars, construction vehicles and really big delivery and other trucks, but really inefficient way to travel distances over about half a mile or so - with children. I have seen the way some visitors drive around here during peak season - they are in a hurry, don't know where they are going, probably have had a few drinks... I stay away from 30A as much as I can during peak season. I can't imagine putting my children in a golf cart to travel any distance down a highway during peak season in a huge vacation area. totally insane imo.
For safetys' sake it should be made a FREEWAY, with ZERO cars and ZERo LSV's allowed then. I disagree respectfully with your point, that 30A is not a resort area. Yes it is not a legally defined Planned Unit Develoment per se.. sure.. but it is one cohesive resort area, bound by many things, like this website for one. Watercolor, just aint Watercolor without Seaside, and without the run of 30A to Grayton's offerings, and Deer Lake's beauty. When people stay in Seagrove Beach they lunch at Bud & Alley's Taco Bar for instance, ditto the folks in Watercolor who frequent Sundog Books, or Cafe Onano. Cohesively bound by a unique geography, a wonderful mutli-use path, a world renowned architectural and urban planning style called new urbanism, a sense of community, a place of being, a state of mind (SoWal), etc. 30A is a wonderfully elegant resort area, with distinctive, interactive neighborhoods. That it is technically not one PUD resort is missing the point about people actually USE the area, and THINK about the area. It is a good point of debate however. I hate to see 30A as a FREEWAY or Highway running efficiently, through a series of numerous and different (perhaps controlled access even in future) resort 'hoods. If what you say are true, and shared view of enough people, you can just raise the speed limit on 30A to 50MPH, and then make it "safe" because no LSV's will then be allowed on it at all. The new I- 30 Interstate will also help make your point
Sorry, I'm still siding with the Friends of 30A on this one...
No INTERSTATING of 30A !
SoWal Guide
For safetys' sake it should be made a FREEWAY, with ZERO cars and ZERo LSV's allowed then. I disagree respectfully with your point, that 30A is not a resort area. Yes it is not a legally defined Planned Unit Develoment per se.. sure.. but it is one cohesive resort area, bound by many things, like this website for one. Watercolor, just aint Watercolor without Seaside, and without the run of 30A to Grayton's offerings, and Deer Lake's beauty. When people stay in Seagrove Beach they lunch at Bud & Alley's Taco Bar for instance, ditto the folks in Watercolor who frequent Sundog Books, or Cafe Onano. Cohesively bound by a unique geography, a wonderful mutli-use path, a world renowned architectural and urban planning style called new urbanism, a sense of community, a place of being, a state of mind (SoWal), etc. 30A is a wonderfully elegant resort area, with distinctive, interactive neighborhoods. That it is technically not one PUD resort is missing the point about people actually USE the area, and THINK about the area. It is a good point of debate however. I hate to see 30A as a FREEWAY or Highway running efficiently, through a series of numerous and different (perhaps controlled access even in future) resort 'hoods. If what you say are true, and shared view of enough people, you can just raise the speed limit on 30A to 50MPH, and then make it "safe" because no LSV's will then be allowed on it at all. The new I- 30 Interstate will also help make your point
Sorry, I'm still siding with the Friends of 30A on this one...
No INTERSTATING of 30A !
that is exactly what 30A is. it is a highway connecting many neighborhoods and communities of local residents and vacation properties. now you are starting to get the picture it seems.
we already have 45 mph in some places in long stretches with little development. raising from 35 to 50 wouldn't really make sense because of safety reasons in the heart of small communities. sure - ride your little cart in the safety of small roads within a resort community. just use your good common sense and stay off a major road. I would rather see mopeds speeding up and down 30a, like you see in some Italian sea villages on the major roads.. yes, they sound like hell, but at least they can keep up the speed and they aren't hauling children.
walking between rosemary beach and alys, or between watercolor and seaside, or all around grayton - this is the way to actually see and feel all the beauty our area has to offer. stroll along and stop at a local wine bar or coffee shop along the way. check out a beach walkover, or local store. ride your bike and feel the wind. yes, we already have all we need in this paradise.
this place is not Disney. we do not need to add to the whims, toys and obesity problems of america by offering a golf cart to go across the street to perspicacity.
Edited
SoWal Expert
For safetys' sake it should be made a FREEWAY, with ZERO cars and ZERo LSV's allowed then. I disagree respectfully with your point, that 30A is not a resort area. Yes it is not a legally defined Planned Unit Develoment per se.. sure.. but it is one cohesive resort area, bound by many things, like this website for one. Watercolor, just aint Watercolor without Seaside, and without the run of 30A to Grayton's offerings, and Deer Lake's beauty. When people stay in Seagrove Beach they lunch at Bud & Alley's Taco Bar for instance, ditto the folks in Watercolor who frequent Sundog Books, or Cafe Onano. Cohesively bound by a unique geography, a wonderful mutli-use path, a world renowned architectural and urban planning style called new urbanism, a sense of community, a place of being, a state of mind (SoWal), etc. 30A is a wonderfully elegant resort area, with distinctive, interactive neighborhoods. That it is technically not one PUD resort is missing the point about people actually USE the area, and THINK about the area. It is a good point of debate however. I hate to see 30A as a FREEWAY or Highway running efficiently, through a series of numerous and different (perhaps controlled access even in future) resort 'hoods. If what you say are true, and shared view of enough people, you can just raise the speed limit on 30A to 50MPH, and then make it "safe" because no LSV's will then be allowed on it at all. The new I- 30 Interstate will also help make your point
Sorry, I'm still siding with the Friends of 30A on this one...
No INTERSTATING of 30A !
Your arguments are so ludicrous that you are alienating even the people who support LSVs and other green technologies.
needs to get out more
the ranting is getting hard to read. And yes, the message is becoming so repetitive that any sympathizers are probably edging away.
Katie Blue, where have you been? What's up with you guys?
Katie Blue, where have you been? What's up with you guys?
Beach Fanatic
Your arguments are so ludicrous that you are alienating even the people who support LSVs and other green technologies.
Why not discuss the content of the arguments, instead of sitting in judgment of their merits.
but oh no, I'm ludicrous for supporting the Friends of 30A proposal, to make the last 10% of 30A LSV amenable . HA, what a joke -
Scooterbugger,
Perhaps you could petition and / or picket both parties in the Florida, California and other progressive legistlatures that have passed LSV' statutes in bipartisan votes - let them know how obviously ludicrous it is to you and your well informed cronies. Perhaps you can make a name for South Walton, as the New Urban too smart to to fall for unecessary Green LSV', or for unecessary mostly vacant and ungreen towns like those that exist on 30A in the first place. Bulldoze it all.
Beach Fanatic
This is one of those times when you type a response, think about it, and hit "delete."
Time to get ready to go to the REP anyway.
Time to get ready to go to the REP anyway.
SoWal Insider
Why not discuss the content of the arguments, instead of sitting in judgment of their merits.
but oh no, I'm ludicrous for supporting the Friends of 30A proposal, to make the last 10% of 30A LSV amenable . HA, what a joke -
Scooterbugger,
Perhaps you could petition and / or picket both parties in the Florida, California and other progressive legistlatures that have passed LSV' statutes in bipartisan votes - let them know how obviously ludicrous it is to you and your well informed cronies. Perhaps you can make a name for South Walton, as the New Urban too smart to to fall for unecessary Green LSV', or for unecessary mostly vacant and ungreen towns like those that exist on 30A in the first place. Bulldoze it all.
In all the arguements and discussions I have read on SoWal in the last couple of years, there is no one that has been so incomprehensibly alienating as you. You have opinions that few, if any, of the people on this forum agree with, and yet you rant and rave about how right you are and how stupid we are. Give it a rest. Your view of this subject is simply lacking common sense. Give it a rest.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
Why not discuss the content of the arguments, instead of sitting in judgment of their merits.
but oh no, I'm ludicrous for supporting the Friends of 30A proposal, to make the last 10% of 30A LSV amenable . HA, what a joke -
Scooterbugger,
Perhaps you could petition and / or picket both parties in the Florida, California and other progressive legistlatures that have passed LSV' statutes in bipartisan votes - let them know how obviously ludicrous it is to you and your well informed cronies. Perhaps you can make a name for South Walton, as the New Urban too smart to to fall for unecessary Green LSV', or for unecessary mostly vacant and ungreen towns like those that exist on 30A in the first place. Bulldoze it all.
I have to admit that I have not been on in a while, but this is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read here. I actually have a GEM car at my place too. Drive the speed limit, or get off the road.
Beach Fanatic
In all the arguements and discussions I have read on SoWal in the last couple of years, there is no one that has been so incomprehensibly alienating as you. You have opinions that few, if any, of the people on this forum agree with, and yet you rant and rave about how right you are and how stupid we are. Give it a rest. Your view of this subject is simply lacking common sense. Give it a rest.
Such an anti progressive majority, you apparently have here. Fine, if you're all together on it, then Walton County can lead the charge against the use of smaller, fuel effecient vehicles. I would find it odd and actually comical to see the home of New Urbanism, lead the way to preserve the dominance of the Nissan Armada. You can be the anti progressive to take the podium, to represent the overwhelming majority that you represent. Turn back the tide on small vehicles!! " Let it be known that if you support LSVs, incessantly, you are both in the "minority" and are alienating and rubbing us the wrong way. "
Neighborhood Electric Vehicles...NEV...LSV...ZEV...GEM... | FixingThePlanet.com
LSV Road Use Legislative Developments ? Small, Task-Oriented Vehicles (STOV)
VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles - FAQ's
Innovation Times Nov/Dec 2008: Whither the LSV? A Concept in Search of a Wider Market (IUV Magazine Article)
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/lsv/lsv.html
needs to get out more
Whether you are considered a raving lunatic or a hero, all depends on the outcome.
(For me) The one overriding factor regarding LSV's on 30A comes down to one thing: Distraction. I believe the primary user on 30A would be someone who does not live here. There is too much happening on 30A for these vehicles to be safe.
(For me) The one overriding factor regarding LSV's on 30A comes down to one thing: Distraction. I believe the primary user on 30A would be someone who does not live here. There is too much happening on 30A for these vehicles to be safe.
SoWal Guide
Smartcars, green cars, tiny european cars, or whatever they may be called - these are a terrific idea on 30A and beyond. This is where we need to be going - small electric, fuel efficient cars. New technologies are here and they are still emerging. We will all be driving the tiny cars eventually. Those cars will be designed for travel on all types of roads like the smartcar.
A golf cart or a four wheeler or whatever - these are little recreational vehicles people use for fun on the golf course or in a designated neighborhood. why would they ever need to be allowed on a highway or any kind of road used by autos and trucks? If we want to design our highways to have an extra lane for these, fine. but even then - how far do you really want to go in a golf cart? I don't get it.
A golf cart or a four wheeler or whatever - these are little recreational vehicles people use for fun on the golf course or in a designated neighborhood. why would they ever need to be allowed on a highway or any kind of road used by autos and trucks? If we want to design our highways to have an extra lane for these, fine. but even then - how far do you really want to go in a golf cart? I don't get it.
Beach Fanatic
Whether you are considered a raving lunatic or a hero, all depends on the outcome.
(For me) The one overriding factor regarding LSV's on 30A comes down to one thing: Distraction. I believe the primary user on 30A would be someone who does not live here. There is too much happening on 30A for these vehicles to be safe.
Fair enough. I'll grant you that having the population swell so dramatically in the summer is cause for distraction, and a big swell in traffic and potential for accidents. It's all a recipe for trouble, but it kind of comes with the territory of a resort area does it not, and don't a lot of folks actually depend on that swell of traffic as much as it may distract?
If Walton County makes 100% (currently around 80%) of 30A LSV friendly, you'll see a dramatic increase of LSV's on the roads in South Walton - I think that would be cool, green, New Urbane, and progressive.
Yes, I too wish people would simply walk or bike everywhere too. That would be preferable. I'd sooner see So Wal support a ban of all vehicles including LSV's, than gain the spotlight for beaitng back the LSV tide - but apparently the majority is forming strongly on the right, agin LSV's
Beach Fanatic
Such an anti progressive majority, you apparently have here. Fine, if you're all together on it, then Walton County can lead the charge against the use of smaller, fuel effecient vehicles. I would find it odd and actually comical to see the home of New Urbanism, lead the way to preserve the dominance of the Nissan Armada. You can be the anti progressive to take the podium, to represent the overwhelming majority that you represent. Turn back the tide on small vehicles!! " Let it be known that if you support LSVs, incessantly, you are both in the "minority" and are alienating and rubbing us the wrong way. "What a crock! You are really all about money not green in my estimation. I drive a new Nissan Versa. It is a small economical car but you fail to mention that if LSV's were allowed on 30A it would probably not prohibit the gas powered ones as well which would put out far more pollution than my Versa. Green, my butt! Its all about money.
Neighborhood Electric Vehicles...NEV...LSV...ZEV...GEM... | FixingThePlanet.com
LSV Road Use Legislative Developments ? Small, Task-Oriented Vehicles (STOV)
VerdeGoh! Electric Vehicles - FAQ's
Innovation Times Nov/Dec 2008: Whither the LSV? A Concept in Search of a Wider Market (IUV Magazine Article)
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/lsv/lsv.html
SWGB
robertsondavies,
With all due respect how far is the rental you are trying to keep out of foreclosure from the beach?
With all due respect how far is the rental you are trying to keep out of foreclosure from the beach?
Beach Fanatic
What a crock! You are really all about money not green in my estimation. I drive a new Nissan Versa. It is a small economical car but you fail to mention that if LSV's were allowed on 30A it would probably not prohibit the gas powered ones as well which would put out far more pollution than my Versa. Green, my butt! Its all about money.
Wrong and Wrong.
First, LSV's are allowed on 30A now, except for about 20% of it. Second the LSV statutes, passed by about 40 states so far, are stricter in Florida, where you CANNOT have a gas LSV. All LSV's in Florida are electric.
Checking your forum account
Please wait while we verify your forum account.