Sec. 804.1503. - Designation Procedures.

The following procedures shall be utilized in designating any portion of any Road as a Designated Road or Prohibited Road or any portion of a Sidewalk as a Golf Cart Path: (a) Upon receipt of an Application, the City Traffic Engineer shall, as may be applicable, conduct a study, review any study provided by the Applicant, or review the proposed construction plans, if the Application has been submitted during development review. The City Traffic Engineer shall review the Application in accordance with best practices within the industry and with local, State and federal design standards and guidelines and shall make a determination of the following as may be applicable: (1) In the case of a proposed Designated Road, whether Golf Carts may travel on or cross the proposed Designated Road, considering factors including the speed, volume, and character of motor vehicle traffic using said road or street, provided that, in no event shall an Application for a proposed Designated Road be granted unless the posted speed limit is 30 miles per hour or less. (2) In the case of a proposed Prohibited Road, whether it is necessary in the interest of safety to prohibit the operation of LSV on the proposed Prohibited Road. (3) In the case of a proposed conversion of an existing Sidewalk into a Golf Cart Path or construction of a Golf Cart path where no sidewalk and/or Road currently exists, the City Traffic Engineer shall consider, as applicable, the current or proposed conditions for non-vehicular traffic in the surrounding community, the character of the surrounding community and the location of proposed and/or existing authorized Golf Cart crossing(s), and whether Golf Carts, bicycles and pedestrians may safely share the proposed Golf Cart Path. Any Golf Cart Path shall have a minimum of 14 feet of clear width with pavement width of at least 12 feet, measured from the centerline of the clear width. The City Traffic Engineer may approve a deviation of both the required clear width and required pavement width based on topographic conditions, but may not approve a proposed Golf Cart Path with less than eight feet of pavement width. Upon completion of the review, the City Traffic Engineer shall either deny or grant the Application. (4) In the case of a proposed conversion into a Golf Cart Path of an existing or planned Multi-Use Path that was installed in lieu of a requirement for both a bike lane and a sidewalk, said conversion will only be allowed if an additional four feet of pavement width and overall clear width is provided (thus 16 feet of pavement width and 18 feet of clear width). Additionally, the City Traffic Engineer shall consider, as applicable, the current or proposed conditions for non-vehicular traffic in the surrounding community, the character of the surrounding community and the location of the proposed and/or existing authorized Golf Cart or Multi-Use Path crossings, and whether Golf Carts, bicycles and pedestrians may safely share the proposed Golf Cart Path. The City Traffic Engineer may approve a deviation of both the required clear width and required pavement width based on topographic conditions, but may not approve a proposed Golf Cart Path in this instance with less than 12 feet of pavement width. Upon completion of the review, the City Traffic Engineer shall either deny or grant the Application. (b) In the event the City Traffic Engineer denies the Application, the City Traffic Engineer shall provide the Applicant with written findings of fact in support of the denial. The Applicant may appeal the denial to the City Council by filing a written notice of appeal with the Office of Legislative Services within 30 days after receipt of the written findings of fact. The appeal shall be heard by the Council Committee charged with the subject matter of transportation and context sensitive streets, who shall report its findings to the full Council. (c) In the event the City Traffic Engineer grants the Application, the Applicant shall install, or shall cause to be installed, appropriate signs and/or pavement markings to indicate where and that such vehicle use is allowed or prohibited, as may be applicable. All signage and pavement markings shall comply with the standards of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices issued by the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation, and with any permitting requirements for such signs. At a minimum, signs shall be located at entry points into the development, and on the Roads and Golf Cart Paths. The signs shall be of a design approved by the City Traffic Engineer. The Applicant or designee shall pay in full for all costs and expenses associated with the installation of such signage and/or pavement markings. The Applicant or designee shall also be responsible for the repair or replacement of such signage and/or pavement markings. Failure to repair or replace a damaged or missing sign or marking shall cause a Road to lose its designation. (d) Communities that own and maintain their own road system (i.e. private communities, community development districts, special districts) may apply pursuant to this Section for the community-owned roads or sidewalks, or any portion thereof, to be designated for Golf Cart use, or for the use of LSVs to be prohibited upon the community-owned roads, or any portion thereof, and for enforcement of the provisions of this Part 15, if said community has entered into a traffic enforcement agreement with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The cost of any and all signage and/or pavement markings required shall be the sole responsibility of the community. Nothing in this Part 15 shall be construed to convey to the City any ownership or maintenance responsibility of the community-owned roads or sidewalks. (Ord. 2018-266-E , § 1)