Council debates golf‑cart rules: age, sidewalks, crossings and fees remain unresolved

City law staff and councilmembers spent significant time Feb. 25 discussing a proposed ordinance that would allow operation of golf carts on designated streets in Wichita, outline safety equipment requirements and set registration and enforcement rules. The session was a direction‑seeking workshop; no ordinance was adopted.

Sharon DeGroff, City Law Department, told the council that Kansas statutes restrict golf‑cart operation on highways and on roads posted over 30 mph unless vehicles display a slow‑moving vehicle emblem and motorcycle‑style lights, and that any city ordinance could not be less restrictive than state law. “Currently, the city does not have an ordinance allowing golf cart operation. So the operation of golf carts within the city on any city street is illegal,” DeGroff said. She outlined a draft that would allow carts on streets 30 mph or less, require registration, proof of liability insurance, a…