Golf carts could soon hit neighborhood roads in Johnson County
FRANKLIN, Ind. (Daily Journal) — Certain unincorporated Johnson County residents may soon be able to drive golf carts on neighborhood streets.
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners considered on first reading an amended ordinance Monday to allow golf carts and recreational off-highway vehicles to be operated on neighborhood roads. It passed on first reading unanimously and will have its second reading at the next commissioner’s meeting on Dec. 16.
If passed, golf carts could be operated on roads within residential neighborhoods in unincorporated Johnson County with a posted speed limit of no greater than 25 miles per hour and with standard signs conspicuously located within the neighborhood.
The ordinance comes after some county residents expressed a desire to drive golf carts and recreational off-highway vehicles on certain county roads. The ordinance update is to accommodate that desire for alternative modes of local transportation while balancing public safety concerns, according to the proposed ordinance.
“This is something we have been beating around for a couple of years at least,” said Brian Baird, chairman of the board of commissioners. “This is the best way we could get it done and keep all the residents in Johnson County safe … It should be a freedom that they have in Johnson County.”
Commissioner Kevin Walls said they have been working with the sheriff’s department and highway department throughout the creation of the proposed ordinance.
No golf carts will be operated on any county road outside of the designated neighborhood roads and carts cannot be operated on sidewalks, pedestrian walkways, multi-use paths, jogging paths, greenway trails or non-designated public ways or roads in unincorporated Johnson County, according to the proposed ordinance.
All golf carts must be registered by their owner with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office with a one-time fee of $100 plus applicable service fees for each registered cart, according to the ordinance. All registration fees for carts would be deposited in the sheriff’s Continuing Education Fund.
Golf carts could only be operated between sunset and sunrise if they are equipped with headlights, taillights, brake lights, seatbelts for each passenger, turn signals and a rearview mirror in working order, according to the proposed ordinance.
The proposed ordinance does not apply to or limit the use of golf carts on golf courses, private property, the golf cart operating regulations in place at the Johnson County Park and the Johnson County Fairgrounds or the use of golf carts on county-owned property by county officials/employees for official purposes.
Any person violating the ordinance will be issued an ordinance violation by Johnson County Sheriff officers. The first offense would be $50, the second offense within one year would be $100 and the third offense and each additional offense within one year would be $250. A second or subsequent offense that happens more than 12 months after the last offense would be considered a first offense.
At Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Ron West asked a clarifying question on carts that had a rear seat installed for two occupants. He was referencing a part of the proposed ordinance that states that carts cannot be used with more passengers than allotted with the manufacturer’s listed passenger capacity, people riding on a golf cart or recreational off-highway vehicle must be seated independently in one of the manufacturer’s designed seats and they may not be standing or riding on the back or in any place designed for cargo or sporting equipment while the cart is in motion.
West said many people install a seat on the rear facing to the rear and he wanted it to qualify in the ordinance. Tiffany Costley, county attorney, said that the ordinance reads that there is a possibility to add passenger capacity according to the manufacturer listing.
The second reading for the ordinance will be at the next commissioners meeting on Dec. 16.
This story was originally published by Daily Journal on Dec. 10, 2024.