NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla — For months now, the city of New Port Richey has worked to legalize golf cart crossings on U.S. 19. The city conducted traffic studies and submitted a request to the Florida Department of Transportation to change the traffic laws.
The city requested traffic law changes for three streets crossing U.S. 19: Marine Parkway, Gulf Drive and Main Street.
Gulf Drive was approved, making it legal for golf cart drivers to access both sides of New Port Richey. Signs previously posted on Gulf Drive saying golf cart crossing is prohibited were removed.
"FDOT has certain criteria they use to see if an intersection is safe or can be made safe to have access for golf carts to cross," Deputy Mayor Matt Murphy explained. "The Gulf Drive and the Marine Parkway are okay in their criteria."
The city is still waiting to hear back from FDOT if Marine Parkway will be approved for carts. Murphy said a response is expected in the next month.
Main Street was denied.
"[It] has to do with how many turns are in the lane, traffic flow, they have a whole list of criteria they use to determine this," Murphy said.
Murphy said the city isn't giving up on getting golf carts crossing U.S. 19 on Main Street. The city will consider options to modify Main Street in the future to make it more accommodating for golf carts to safely cross and receive approval from FDOT.
The golf carts cross just like any other vehicle, on the main roadway, following the same traffic laws as other drivers.
The city of New Port Richey started looking into legalizing golf cart crossings earlier this year because it was already happening.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.