Golf Carts On The Streets of Glenwood?

     There’s been a rash of talk in western Iowa this summer about the legalization of golf carts on city streets. There’s apparently been a spike in golf cart sales over the past few years.  Not sure why, but maybe it’s the tax credit the government started offering for battery-powered golf carts a few years back.
    The issue has become a topic of discussion and city council agenda item in several communities - most recently Glenwood.

    At Glenwood City Council meeting last month, Tim O’Connor, a member of the audience, asked the council to revise its current Golf Carts and Small Recreational Vehicles ordinance.
    Specifically, O’Connor wants the city to remove the stipulation that only allows “handicapped persons”  with a legal driver’s license to operate a golf cart on city streets during daylight hours. O’Connor would like the city to make it legal for any licensed driver to putter around the city in a golf cart.
    The council listened to O’Connor’s request and will address the matter at a future meeting after city officials have had an opportunity to research and  digest the request.
    The issue was brought before the Glenwood council exactly a week after the Red Oak City Council declined to take action on a similar request to legalize golf carts in that community. Red Oak council members and Police Chief Drue Powers cited safety concerns in voicing opposition to the request. One councilman stated that there were 13,000 golf-cart related accidents last year in the United States, and nearly half of those involved children.
    The police chief said allowing golf carts on city streets is “bad business.”
    “Any low-profile vehicle operating on a city street, I’m against,” Powers said. “This isn’t some magic thing that will go by without someone getting hurt. We are headed for a tragedy.”
    The Missouri Valley City Council also shot down a request to allow the carts on its streets.
    Glenwood Police Chief Eric Johansen said he, too, has safety concerns about liberalizing the city’s current golf cart ordinance, but is willing to listen to the pros and cons and give the issue some consideration.
    Under Glenwood’s current ordinance, handicapped persons (as defined by the Code of Iowa) with a valid motor vehicle operator’s license are allowed to drive golf carts on city streets during daylight hours, but they are required to register with the police department and they must equip their cart with a “Slow Moving Vehicle” sign, bicycle safety flag, adequate brakes and reflectorized warning devices.
    Johansen said he knows of no golf cart drivers that have registered with his department.
    There are several towns in Iowa that do allow golf carts on city streets - Treynor, Logan and Dysart to name a few. In Treynor, however, the golf carts are only allowed on the south side of Highway 92, for transportation to and from the golf course.    
    Many of the cities that do allow golf carts on their streets are communities considerably smaller than Glenwood, which is understandable.
    I don’t know how this will all play out, but  I think it will take a compelling argument (more than just golfer convenience) to convince council members to give golf carts the green light on the streets of Glenwood. Public safety should be and will be the top priority when the council gets around to addressing this issue.