Alberta Municipalities vote to support Golf Carts on Municipal Roads
On the second day of the Alberta Municipalities conference, representatives from municipalities across the province gathered to cast their votes on a range of significant issues that will shape the advocacy agenda for the coming three years for the Municipal organization.
The resolution part of the three day conference, a crucial forum for municipal leaders, saw discussions on topics such as increased funding for the Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF), non-partisan municipal elections, and the intriguing proposal of allowing golf carts on municipal roads.
Delegates faced the challenging task of determining which issues would be at the forefront of municipal advocacy efforts. Among them, the proposition regarding the use of golf carts on designated municipal roads garnered significant attention.
The motion to allow golf carts on designated municipal roads - which was moved by the Summer Village of Half Moon Bay, and seconded by the Village of Delburn received a majority support, with 70 percent of delegates voting in favour, while the remaining 30 percent were not in favour of the proposed resolution.
Mike Pashak, Councillor for the Summer Village of Half Moon Bay and President of the Association of Summer Villages of Alberta (ASVA), expressed his optimism about the passage of the motion concerning the use of golf carts on designated municipal roads. He emphasized the need for modernization in the Alberta Traffic Safety Act, stating, "The Alberta Traffic Safety Act hasn't changed in a long time, and they need to come into the modern era." Pashak firmly believes that implementing this change will be straightforward and beneficial.
Pashak hopes that the necessary changes can be made by the next summer, although he acknowledges that it's a two-step process. He explained, "We need changes by the Alberta government, and then a municipality has to decide and pass a bylaw." Despite the potential time required, he anticipates that some municipalities will proactively work on the bylaw to have it ready for implementation as soon as the snow melts next year.
This initiative mirrors a similar success story from Saskatchewan earlier this year. In April, the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) passed a comparable motion at their annual conference, with Resort Villages urging SUMA to approach the Saskatchewan Government for change. Just two months after SUMA's annual conference in Saskatoon, the Scott Moe Government swiftly enacted the change, allowing golf carts on designated municipal roads.
Pashak emphasized the ASVA's commitment to working with all member communities to draft a bylaw enabling summer villages to expedite their efforts in case the province progresses with updating the Alberta Traffic Safety Act.
