An Act To Allow Municipalities To Permit the Operation of Golf Carts on Municipally Owned Streets

Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2093  is enacted to read:

§ 2093.  Operation of golf carts

A golf cart may be operated on the extreme right of a public way or as directed by the appropriate governmental unit within the public way of a municipality or an unorganized or unincorporated township if the appropriate governmental unit has designated the public way as a golf cart access route. A golf cart must travel in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic on a public way designated as a golf cart access route. A public way designated by an appropriate governmental unit as a golf cart access route must be posted conspicuously at regular intervals by that governmental unit with highly visible signs designating the golf cart access route. Before designating a public way as a golf cart access route, the appropriate governmental unit shall make appropriate determinations that golf cart travel on the extreme right of the public way or as directed by the appropriate governmental unit within the public way may be conducted safely and will not interfere with vehicular traffic on the public way. The appropriate governmental unit may enact ordinances to require a golf cart to be registered with the governmental unit to be used on a golf cart access route in that governmental unit's jurisdiction and regarding the safe operation and required safety features of a golf cart used on a golf cart access route in that governmental unit's jurisdiction. For purposes of this paragraph, "appropriate governmental unit" means the department, county commissioners or municipal officers within their respective jurisdictions. The jurisdiction of each appropriate governmental unit over public ways pursuant to this paragraph is the same as its jurisdiction over the passage of vehicles on public ways pursuant to section 2395. Municipal or county law enforcement officials having jurisdiction have primary enforcement authority over any route established under this paragraph.

SUMMARY

This bill allows municipalities to designate certain public ways as golf cart access routes, similar to existing provisions of law allowing municipalities to designate certain public ways as all-terrain vehicle access routes, and to pass ordinances requiring the registration of golf carts used on the access routes and for the safe operation and required safety features of those golf carts.