Carolina Forest Boulevard's multi-use paths not designed for golf carts, but police say no law prohibits them from being there

Before John Giannantoni ventured onto the new multi-use path near his Turning Pines home off Carolina Forest Boulevard, he asked if his motorized wheelchair would be allowed there.

The answer was yes. Horry County officials told him the paths were not designed for vehicles such as golf carts and four-wheelers; motorized wheelchairs, however, would not be a problem. But the county never created an ordinance prohibiting golf carts on the paths, and that’s led to complaints about those vehicles crowding a space created primarily for bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

“They’re not supposed to be on there and they’re driving [on them] all the time,” Giannantoni said. “And usually it’s kids.”

County officials discussed some possible solutions to the problem during Wednesday’s Carolina Forest Civic Association meeting. The ideas ranged from adding better signage to installing posts at various points along the paths, which are eight feet wide and run down each side to the newly widened boulevard.

“I know that it’s a problem,” Horry County Police Chief Joe Hill said. “I’ve driven past there and I’ve seen young people on their golf carts and there’s no room for walkers or bikers or anyone else. They shouldn’t really be on there.”

Hill said police are working with Horry County Council to address that issue. Councilman Bill Howard, who lives in Carolina Forest, said one proposal involves installing posts in the paths that are wide enough for wheelchairs and bicycles to get through but too narrow to allow golf carts to pass. He said the posts could be installed at various points, perhaps every 1,000 feet.

“We might want to get that implemented now while there are still funds available for this widening,” Howard said.

Funded by the county’s 1% RIDE III sales tax, the Carolina Forest Boulevard project expanded the two-lane portion of the road to four lanes from Gateway Drive to River Oaks Drive. It also includes the multi-use paths.

Although the main widening work was finished by the end of July, county officials have said the second path will be completed later this fall.

The overall project is expected to come in well under budget. The construction contract with Southern Asphalt was for $32.7 million, and the RIDE III referendum authorized spending $54.7 million on the entire project.

Since he started cruising the multi-use path close to his home, Giannantoni said he’s seen a golf cart pull off the road to get around him. But he pointed out that won’t always be an option.

“In some spots, you can’t go off [the path],” he said. “That’s the biggest concern.”

He doesn’t mind the post idea as long as the barriers don’t impede traffic for the bicyclists, wheelchair users and pedestrians the paths were designed for.

For now, he’d be pleased with signage that encourages golf cart drivers to avoid the paths.

“That’s the only thing they can do” he said. “Signs and then they’ve got to come up with some type of law that they can enforce.”