I love our golf cart paths and the serenity they give all of us.
Gas carts, in my opinion, are extremely polluting. Sometimes the smell is nauseating.
I am proposing that gas golf carts NOT be banned, but to be held to the standards of the Georgia’s Clean Air Act. Have them pass the emissions test.
I see this as a way to keep our air clean and for PTC to have an additional revenue stream while supporting the green initiative.
Doug Puza
Peachtree City, Ga.
I would be more interested in banning obnoxiously loud music blaring from some of these golg carts.
Spot on, Dr!
Sad change to our community and when I have discussed with police or city officials they either pass the buck or claim they can’t enforce any noise laws…how about reckless driving, disturbing the peace, etc??
Walk or drive the cart path on the east side of lake peachtree around 9pm and you will get the picture real quick.kids and their music pelting our neighborhoods with F bombs and N bombs…parents should be real proud
Maybe we will find a new mayor and council that will not let the police dept turn a blind eye and deaf ear.
Gas Golf Carts – Cart paths are for walking/riding not for smelling gas in your face; otherwise I would walk on the streets and most of those cars don’t smell like the golf carts. I have been here 28 years and one time gas carts were not allowed – no one expected to get from one end of the town to the other on a golf cart and we were aware of getting back home to charge them. Most residents don’t go that far and most still have cars to use to travel longer distances and they don’t pollute as bad as most of these golf carts do.
As Mayor, we received a lot of complaints about gas golf carts, so I held public meetings on the issue.
The ban side complained about smell and noise, especially those with breathing issues. Those against a ban talked about distance and charging. It was a hot and divisive issue.
Legally, the state controls inspections, so we cannot touch emissions or maintenance requirements. So it boils down to either the status quo or grandfather existing gas carts and ban future purchases of gas carts.
The main considerations for today is the simple fact cart manufacturers advertise electric carts with 150 mile range and also sell hybrid cart Gass. Which brings up the issue of cost, which ties into people not wanting to pay for the carts capable of longer ranges.
We voted status quo before because Imker and Learnard insisted On a multiyear plan that was doomed to failure just like their Multiyear tax plan that was supposed to end all tax increases, but failed.
As Mayor I believed meetings with citizen input were fully justified and would be if the issue arose again.
Ex Mayor, you must at some point get tired of listening to Springsteen’s “Glory Days”, no?
Maybe if you hadn’t used taxpayer money for your legal defense…oh well
“I am proposing that gas golf carts NOT be banned, but to be held to the standards of the Georgia’s Clean Air Act. Have them pass the emissions test.”
Lofty goal but where’s the data showing emissions from this vehicle type represents a problem?
You can google “SAE 730159”, a study from 1972 which showed that unburnt hydrocarbon emissions are 5000-1000 ppm. Acceptable HC emissions from a vehicle produced after 1994 is 50 ppm. Or you can just stand next to one.
Most of these motors have not been improved since the 70’s, and those that have were sold exclusively in California until recently. There are a handful of manufacturers who use 4-stroke fuel injected electronic gas motors which produce both low emissions and are relatively quiet. They should be the standard.
I’m not for banning the existing gas carts, I am for banning any new registrations of gas carts…let them die off peacefully….and loudly, which many of them are.
Hey Doug, What’s next lawnmowers, weedeaters, blowers? Try New York state again. They need more people like you and AOC.
Thank you for your comment Artrferreira1. As a conservative Republican, I find your comment comparing me to AOC demeaning and without merit. You criticize without solutions. Gas powered golf carts on the trails are not weed eaters, lawnmowers or blowers. Please enjoy a piece of cheese with your whine.
Sounds like the same mentality when Skiers were ‘offended’ by Wakeboarders.
“Grandpa, how did we light our houses before we had candles?”
“Sweetie, before the GreenNewDeal we had electricity”
Yeah, that mentality… do you remember all those filthy hippies who said “we need to put scrubbers on smoke stacks so forests aren’t ruined by acid rain and so our kids aren’t inhaling coal dust”. What a bunch of bleeding hearts.
I think we are comparing apples to oranges. Wakeboards don’t pollute
Golf carts don’t contain same muffler/emission system as a car, and is not designed for such action.
Also state rules prohibit local regulation on this issue
Blatantly untrue. All major golf cart manufacturers have options for both LEV engines (CARB compliant) as well as mufflers. Yamaha’s gas golf carts are surprisingly quiet, and you can’t tell them apart from electric carts until they’re within a few yards.
In no way to State laws restrict the city from prohibiting the use of gasoline powered cards on the city-owned multi-use path system which do not meet a certain standards for noise or emissions. In fact, gas powered carts weren’t allowed until just a few years ago.
First…LSV are not true golf carts and the standard use golf carts don’t carry same emissions equipment as a LSV or standard car. Most are similar to go cart setup
Second…the city cannot require any emissions etc on a golf cart. The regulation is reserved by the state (state has golf cart laws btw) and under law of supremacy state trump’s city
Third…city can ban gas golf carts but largest reason they don’t is golf carts don’t have the range for a all day trip all over the city. In the past people would register a gas golf cart as an electric to get pass city regulation and by trying to ban again….people will do it again. They want peace of mind knowing they can travel the city and get home before the run out of juice. They city doesn’t have a charging system for golf carts to help facilitate this problem…while many say they could….who would pay for the electricity
1. We’re not talking about LSVs.
2. The City can regulate off-road vehicles operating on city property. State laws only apply to public roads and road going vehicles. (Golf Carts are off-road vehicles.)
3. I agree – range anxiety is a key driver of gas cart purchases. The city should work with local industry to establish a city wide network of golf cart and EV charging stations. Eaton and Panasonic are both in the electric charger business, and would almost certainly want to vie for home town bragging rights.