The vote was 6-1, with Council Member Louis Mastrangelo opposed.
The revised ordinance requires extra measures, in addition to what is already required by the state, to operate a golf cart on Lakeway’s public streets.
The changes to the city’s code will be effective Jan. 1.
During their July 18 meeting, council members discussed implementing an annual registration fee of $25 per golf cart.
“The reason we talked about having a registration is because, if you wanted to restrict someone’s use of the golf cart, you can’t do that through a license plate; that’s why we would have registration,” interim City Manager Joseph Molis said.
Ultimately, the council voted against an annual registration fee.
“You can educate the public [about proper golf cart use] without having registration fees,” Council Member Sanjeev Kumar said.
Council Member Keith Trecker said an annual registration would inconvenience community members and the police, as it would create extra work for the police and unnecessary additional fees for community members.
Mastrangelo said he was concerned about allowing golf carts on regular streets, which the revised ordinance would permit on certain roads.
“I think we are reacting to a very tiny minority of people in the city who are asking for this [ordinance],” Mastrangelo said. “I think when our forebearers made the original ordinance they were doing it for safety reasons, and I personally don’t want to see it changed.”
Texas government Code 551 restricts golf carts to roads with speed limits “no more than 35 miles per hour,” and limits golf cart use to 5 miles from the driver’s home and to and from the golf course. However, the code also gives municipalities the ability to amend their ordinances, provided carts stay on roads “no more than 35 mph and within city limits.”
Under Lakeway’s revised ordinance, golf carts may operate on most city roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less during daytime hours.
The following roads are restricted from golf cart use:
- Lakeway Drive, between Lakeway Boulevard and Cross Creek
- Lohmans Spur, between RM 620 and Lohmans Crossing
- Serene Hills Drive
- Bee Creek Road
- Flint Rock Road
- Hwy. 71, including the right of way
- RM 620, including the right of way
License plates are required if a golf cart is operating on a street.
Equipment requirements, such as headlights, are identical to the Texas code. Additional requirements now include a slow-moving vehicle emblem. Golf cart drivers will also be asked to use recreation lanes if provided, not to pull trailers, have no more passengers than what the cart is designed for, not to allow lap riding and to move over for faster vehicles.
Golf cart driving on shared-use paths will also be restricted to paths 8 feet or wider, and the city will put signage indicating which shared-use paths are golf cart accessible over the next few months.
