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Tyler Police Department says it will be ramping up enforcement on unauthorized use of golf carts on the city streets.

The department said in a press release the move was in response to ongoing safety concerns and complaints about the use of golf carts on public roadways.

There are three major golf courses in Tyler at the Willow Brook Country Club on West Erwin Street, the Cascades Golf and Country Club on Briarwood Road, and Hollytree Country Club on Hollytree Drive.

The police department says golf carts are considered motor vehicles under Texas traffic laws that are legal when driven by a licensed driver during daytime hours on a street with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less.

Additionally, the golf cart must be used for transportation to and from the golf course and not be operated more than 2 miles from where the golf cart is parked, such as at a person’s home.

“Individuals are criminally and civilly responsible for the operation of golf carts on public (city) roadways in violation of state law, or permitting juveniles to violate this law,” the police department said in a news release.

“Anyone who is a minor and does not have a driver’s license will be issued a citation for operating a motor vehicle without a license,” the news release said. “This may later complicate the process of getting a driver’s license when applying through the Department of Public Safety.”

Don Martin, the spokesman for the Tyler Police Department, said police started working with golf communities in June 2017 to address the illegal operation of golf carts on city streets.

“The problem is that a lot of adults are allowing their kids to, ‘Hey take the golf cart and go down to the pool,’ or go down to their friend’s house, and that’s illegal,” Martin said.

“It’s no different from me giving my keys to my 15-year-old kid that doesn’t have a driver’s license and saying, ‘Hey go down the street and get a loaf of bread,’” he said.

“We’re at the point where we’re going to say now, ‘OK, you’ve had two years to comply and now we’re going to start issuing citations,’” Martin said.

In recent months, residents of the Hollytree subdivision have complained about development proposals on hundreds of acres nearby in part because of concerns about traffic safety in the upscale golf community.

At a City Council meeting in April, Mayor Martin Heines told John Hart, the president of the Hollytree Homeowners Association, that he too was concerned about the use of golf carts on public streets and would like to work with the group on the issue.

On Tuesday, Hart said he has looked into installing combination crosswalk and traffic signal system, similar to what is used near the University of Texas at Tyler, but said they were too expensive for the association to build. He asked for the city to help with funding.

Hart said in an interview Thursday that the homeowners association has discussed the issue over the years, but hasn’t taken action because of the amount of pushback it received. He said he personally supports more enforcement, but can’t speak for the board.

“There are golf carts all over Hollytree with five, six kids riding on them, and there’s going to be an accident, and when that happens, it’s going to be a big problem in the community,” Hart said.

He said the homeowners association was not involved in the police department’s announcement.

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