Dan Morse at the Washington Post has written a light feature story about the spread of golf carts as a mode of transportation, typically in retirement communities but also in small towns and suburban subdivisions. The story doesn’t reach any profound conclusions, but there is some interesting data embedded within it.
As many as 40,000 of the 200,000 golf carts built each year are used for purposes other than golf. In other words, they’re used for local transportation as an alternative to the automobile. Some people are using them to cruise around subdivision streets. With a top speed of 18 m.p.h., they generally are not used to travel any great distance.
In Colonial Beach, a Virginia town on the Potomac River, carts have been street-legal since 2002. There are now an estimated 400 golf cart owners in town.
In the winter, riders can enclose the sides of carts with thick curtains akin to soft convertible tops and warm the inside of carts with a propane heater that fits into the drink holder. On Saturday, up to 25 Colonial Beach residents are expected to climb into their carts for an annual holiday parade, following Santa in their carts. This follows a golf cart scavenger hunt earlier in the year.
Very cute. But there are serious questions: (1) To what extent can golf carts substitute for automobiles on a large scale, (2) to what extent can they ameliorate the ills of an autocentric society such as pollution and traffic congestion, and (3) what can local authorities do to encourage their use in a socially utilitarian manner?
If golf carts simply substituted for cars on short trips, using the same roads and parking spaces, I don’t see how they could make much difference… Indeed, limited to 18 m.p.h., they might make matters worse by slowing traffic. However, if carts could utilize trails and bike paths used mainly for recreation rather than providing access, they might alleviate some congestion. Also, if bike/jogging/cart paths are added to provide connectivity in places where you can’t build a road — between cul de sac subdivisions, for instance, or through parks and/or school grounds — they could provide inexpensive options not currently available.
It would be helpful to know more about how people and communities are using the carts.