WELLINGTON, Fla. — There are hundreds of small new stop signs in the Village of Wellington.
"The reality is, these golf carts have been using our pathways for many years," said Jim Barnes, Wellington manager. "And at this point, we just acknowledge that that exists and we're trying to make it a safer condition for not only the golf cart drivers but also the pedestrians, the cyclists and the drivers."
The village passed a new golf cart ordinance in September 2021. Essentially, it says drivers must be at least 14 years old, golf carts can't be driven at night unless it has proper safety features and drivers are not allowed on roads where the speed limit is more than 30 mph.
Barnes said they came up with a comprehensive signage system. As many as 680 stops and other warning signs will be posted. At the moment, crews are halfway done.
"And the total cost of that for both material and installation is approximately $150,000," he said.
Resident Barbara Dunham isn't happy.
"I like Wellington, but sometimes it gets a little crazy around here," she said.
Dunham said the new signs are a waste of time.
"They want to do this. They want to do that. They want to do the other thing," she said. "No, we don't want that. We want our roads fixed. That's all we want. This is ridiculous."
Nancy Dixon loves the stop signs. She even took a picture of her dog Richie next to one.
"These signs are going to help because they just scoot right across," she said. "They don't wait for cars. They just drive."
Barnes said crews will finish installing the signs just before the new ordinance goes into effect March 28.
Wellington has a meeting for residents next Wednesday regarding the guidelines of the new golf cart ordinance.
