In a split vote, the Wichita City Council has approved an ordinance that will allow golf carts to be driven on certain city streets, starting April 1st.

Chief Deputy City Attorney Sharon Dickgrafe said other cities, such as Derby and Andover, have developed ordinances on the use of golf carts.  She said a staff committee looked at ordinances from other cities and crafted an ordinance for Wichita.

The ordinance allows the operation of golf carts on certain streets, but they will be banned on public highways, arterial streets, and streets with speed limits of more than 30 miles an hour.  They will also be banned in the city’s Core Area, between Murdock and Kellogg from Stackman Drive to Hydraulic.   Golf carts will have to have the “Slow-Moving Vehicle” emblem, and they will have to have a registration emblem from the city.   Golf cart owners will have to pay a fee of $75 per year and they’ll have to show proof of liability insurance coverage.

Golf carts will be banned on sidewalks, walking trails and bike paths, and their use will be limited to a time period from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.  Drivers will have to be at least 18 years of age.

The ordinance will not apply to golf carts that are in use during community events, or those used by governmental agencies, or those that are only used on private property such as golf courses.

The Council voted 4-3 to approve the ordinance.   Council members Maggie Ballard, Becky Tuttle and Brandon Johnson had concerns about safety and putting an extra burden on police officers.   Vice Mayor J.V. Johnston said the police department is already getting calls from people about golf cart use in some neighborhoods, and no tickets have been issued up to this point.   He said it’s better to get some definition in place so golf carts can be used legally in some areas.

[ photo:  City of Wichita ]