Officials remain divided on the value of reflectors on multi-modal paths in The Villages.
Community Development District 5 Board of Supervisors Chairman Gary Kadow has hoped to persuade the Project Wide Advisory Committee to vote for the installation of reflective pavement markers on multi-modal paths. He said the trend toward brighter golf cart lights and residents’ diminishing ability to see at night as they age, make the RPMs a necessity.
“In anything we do, we put the safety of residents above all else,” Kadow said.
Fellow CDD 5 Supervisor Jerry Ferlisi requested the installation of RPMs across all districts south of County Road 466 during a PWAC meeting Monday at SeaBreeze Recreation Center. He cited golf cart accident statistics that he said favor the installation of RPMs as a safety measure.
However, other members of the committee aren’t quite sold on RPMs.
Brozick and some fellow PWAC members felt they were not ready to vote due to a lack of relevant data.
Their concerns include safety, due to the paths including golf carts, bicyclists and walkers. Kadow said the RPMs would be raised 3/8 of an inch and be about 20 feet apart, to which Brozick expressed concern for bicyclists trying to go around walkers.
“If you hit one of those things (RPMs), there’s going to be an accident,” Brozick said.
Additionally, some PWAC members doubted the value of installing RPMs on every multi-modal path and questioned how much it would cost per district. CDD 7’s Edward Coleman suggested putting the RPMs only where they are needed.
Regardless, Kadow and CDD 5 will be proceeding with the installation of RPMs.
Do you think RPMs are a benefit to safety on the multi-modal paths? Share your thoughts at [email protected]