BARRHEAD - County of Barrhead residents living in select areas of the municipality will be able to use their golf carts in select areas thanks to council opting into a new provincial pilot project.
In late October, the province announced that it had tweaked the Alberta Traffic Safety Act (TSA) in May to create a five-year pilot project allowing residents in select rural communities to drive golf carts on pre-selected municipal roadways.
On April 1, County of Barrhead municipal councillors gave first and second readings to the Golf Cart Pilot Project Bylaw (Bylwas 3-2025).
Councillors first discussed the potential of joining the pilot project at their August Committee of the Whole meeting.
Proposed designated golf cart routes allowed under the bylaw include the Hamlet of Thunder Lake, the Idle Hours, Greendale, Whiterock Beach and Murray's Beach in Lac La Nonne.
Community peace officer (CPO) Shae Guy said the reason why the municipality chose not to extend or add routes in the old Lac La Nonne hamlet or the Moonlight Bay subdivision is that as part of the provincial project requirements that golf cart use is restricted to roads with speed limits that don't exceed 50 km/h. He noted the county would need to install proper signage marking the routes.
"It didn't make a lot of sense from our perspective to allow routes in those small subdivisions because there is really no place they can go," Guy said, later adding if they wanted to add areas to the bylaw, they could, but Alberta Transportation would have to approve it.
To drive a golf cart in one of the permitted areas, drivers will require a driver's learning permit or driver's licence under the proposed bylaw.
"So they actually need to know how to drive," he said, adding the province doesn't have that requirement. "All they have to do to drive a golf cart as part of the project is be at least 14 years old."
He added that as it is a pilot project, the province could decide to cancel the initiative at any time, saying the municipality, even if accepted into the project, could similarly choose to opt out.
Guy said the county's bylaw also requires that the golf carts be personally owned, i.e. not from a rental company and that they carry a minimum of $2 million of liability insurance.
"The province doesn't require insurance. We could remove the insurance requirement, but I don't think that is a good idea," he said, adding policies would most likely be available through the resident's home insurance.
Guy also noted that as part of the permit process, golf cart owners and drivers would be required to report any accident to the municipality, no matter the seriousness or amount of damage. This is in addition to reporting requirements under the TSA, such as reporting collisions involving $5,000 of damage to the police.
Guy said this is because of the municipality's requirement to report relevant stats to the province.
Other limitations are that golf carts are only allowed to accommodate the number of occupants for which they are safely rated, and towing people or items is strictly prohibited.
Guy also noted that the golf carts and their drivers are subject to the same rules that govern the rules as other drivers under the TSA and the county's Traffic Bylaw, specifically parking.
The suggested fee (assuming the bylaw goes to fruition) for the required annual permit is $50 for the initial application and $25 for subsequent renewals.
If stopped by law enforcement officers, Reeve Doug Drozd asked what documentation the driver would need to provide for proof of registration and insurance.
"In addition to showing their driver's licence, they will have to show their golf cart permit, which they wouldn't have been able to get if they did not without that proof," Guy said.
Coun. Walter Preugschas asked if Guy knew what type of demand there would be.
Guy said no but hazarded an educated guess that the permit would be popular with residents, especially in the Hamlet of Thunder Lake.
"I know there are a lot of people who use golf carts, especially at Thunder Lake and Lac La Nonne. Like a lot," he said.
In Alberta, driving golf carts on public roadways is prohibited unless specifically allowed as part of municipal bylaw.
"A lot of education will be needed the first year into the pilot project, getting word out there that something like this exists," Guy said.
The first communities accepted into the pilot project were the Town of Coaldale, the villages of Acme and Linden, the Town of Delburne, Lacombe County, and the summer villages of Half Moon Bay and Whispering Hills.
At the time of the initial announcement, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen stated in a media release that the initiative shows the province's "forward-thinking" regarding transportation.
"Off-highway vehicles ... and e-bikes have been popular with Albertans for years, and pilot projects like this one hold the key to unlocking new modes of transportation for everyone," Dreeshen said.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
