Golf carts banned at new I-95, Viera Boulevard interchange

Golf carts banned at new I-95, Viera Boulevard interchange

BY AUSTIN RUSHNELL

Construction at the intersection of I-95 and Viera Boulevard is nearly finished. People that drive golf carts will have to learn county ordinances, which dictate where they can drive the carts.

Photo by Adam Rushnell

As the construction for the new I-95 and Viera Boulevard interchange is finishing up, an ordinance that was established in 2016 will soon become prominent.

This ordinance places a ban on all golf carts within the immediate area of the interchange, effectively preventing golf carts from crossing the east and west Viera areas via Viera Boulevard.

The ordinance in question is the Board of County Commissioners Ordinance No. 2016-22, Sec. 106-73 (b) (f):

“[...] Notwithstanding any other definitions of this ordinance; no portion of a street, road, multi-use sidewalk or trail within the I-95/Viera Boulevard interchange shall be designated for golf cart usage.”

In the past, tickets already have been issued by local police to golf cart users. With the completion of the interchange, golf cart users attempting to illegally cross the interchange should be aware of an increased police

presence. Viera East Golf Club General Manager and Viera resident Tim Melloh expressed concerns about the situation.

“The golf cart ban has been ongoing; it’s not anything new,” Melloh said. “Even before they started construction (at the intersection), people have been written tickets.

“At the golf course at Viera East, we have a lot of people from the west side that drive over the bridge to come here and play golf. There are (also) a lot of people that live on the east side of that bridge that drive over. And, a lot of the kids drive to Viera High School.”

According to Melloh, outside of Viera High School, there are a few hundred golf carts parked outside. That means that many local students are going to school via an illegal intersection.

“Now that they’re going to have the interchange there and now that they’re going to have cars coming on and off I-95, there’s going to be a lot more police presence there to ensure everyone navigates through there safely,” Melloh said.

With the approaching expanded police presence, the community needs to be aware of local laws and ordinances.

What makes this ban especially difficult, however, is the fact that there are no major golf cart-friendly routes from East Viera to West Viera. This means that golf cart users will have to either walk, drive or cycle across the I-95/ Viera Boulevard intersection in order to cross without penalty.

The ordinance can be found at the Central Viera Community Association’s website at cvcaviera.com/wp- content/uploads/2017/03/BC- Ordinance-2016-22-Golf-Carts. pdf. VV