Fayette County interns Kyra Parks and Jason Girolami are currently working on unifying the golf cart ordinances of Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone, and Fayette County.
Kyra Parks is a rising junior at Whitewater High School and Jason Girolami is a rising senior at Starr’s Mill High School.
Their project will address ways all the golf cart ordinances within the county can be consistent with each other.
Golf carts are becoming more popular among Fayette County citizens. In Peachtree City alone, there are more than 10,000 registered golf carts. Peachtree City has 90 miles of paths connecting residents to shopping centers, schools, neighborhoods, and parks.
Tyrone and Fayetteville are creating path systems due to the increasing demand for golf cart usage. Golf cart paths are becoming an alternate mode of transportation.
For this multi-use path system to run smoothly throughout the county, the various golf cart ordinances need to be consistent in all jurisdictions in Fayette County.
Currently, there are some differences between the golf cart rules in each of the cities and Fayette County.
These differences make it difficult for citizens to abide by the rules when crossing the border to another jurisdiction within Fayette County. Often, the citizens find that they are suddenly violating the ordinances of that jurisdiction and are subject to penalties.
The interns first compared and contrasted the golf cart ordinances for each jurisdiction, identifying the areas that need to be addressed. They found many similarities and differences.
Many of the ordinances are similar in each city as they relate to permits and registration. Peachtree City and Tyrone have a reciprocal agreement. Tyrone will honor permits issued by Peachtree City and vice-versa.
One big discrepancy involves the age a citizen is allowed to begin operating a golf cart.
In Peachtree City, drivers are able to begin driving a golf cart as young as the age of 12, so long as they are accompanied by an adult in the front seat.
In Tyrone, the driver must be at least 15 and in Fayetteville only those who hold a valid driver’s license are able to operate a golf cart.
The interns will present their findings to Fayette County Board of Commissioners. Moving forward, they will present recommendations to attempt to unify the golf cart ordinances within Fayette County.
[This story provided by Fayette County Clerk Floyd Jones.]
