Elburn rejects proposal to allow golf carts on streets

Elburn will not become a golf cart community, following a recent unanimous village board vote against the proposal.

The possibility of allowing golf carts on the streets of Elburn has been a topic of board discussion since November. Resident Melissa Bollivar brought to the village a petition with 582 signatures in favor of a village ordinance permitting it.

Village Trustee Luis Santoyo said he didn’t think the village could determine that public safety would not be jeopardized without additional due diligence, such as traffic studies. That would cost money that is not in the village’s budget, officials said.

Several other obstacles were identified, most of which led back to concerns for the public safety and potential village liability.

State law already prohibits golf carts use on state highways and roads with a speed limit of more than 35 mph. That eliminates routes 47 and 38, as well as Hughes and Keslinger roads. Trustees agreed that it was not safe for golf carts to cross these roads, further restricting where people could drive them.

That meant that for the most part, residents would be restricted to driving within their subdivisions or neighborhoods, and some trustees did not think that people would follow those restrictions.

Police Chief Nick Sikora said that people don’t always take driving a golf cart on a roadway seriously enough and follow rules such as age restrictions, insurance requirements and a ban on open alcohol in the vehicle.

“Their attitude is that it’s just a golf cart,” Sikora said.

Sikora said that police chiefs of smaller towns, with less than 1,000 people, reported they have had no incidences of crashes or public safety problems, but some larger towns reported serious injuries from crashes and people disregarding the rules.

Despite rejecting the proposal, Village President Jeff Walter thanked those who participated in the process.

“This is how local government works at its best: engaged citizens bring forward ideas, and those ideas are given thoughtful consideration by the village board,” he said. “While the final decision may not always align with every viewpoint, every proposal deserves — and receives — its moment to be heard. That open dialogue is a cornerstone of good governance.”