EUTAWVILLE, S.C. — The Town of Eutawville in Orangeburg County is proposing building a multi-use path to accommodate golf carts and motor bikes.
Eutawville Mayor Brandon Weatherford says many golf cart riders make their way through town regularly. This multi-use path would be a way to help them feel safer along the town's main street.
“As it stands now, they’re not really allowed to ride anywhere because my understanding is this is a state highway that comes through the middle of town and state law doesn’t allow you ride on the road," said Weatherford.
This path would be legally designated for both golf carters and riders of dirt bikes and four wheelers. He says the town sees a lot of dirt bike riders speeding on the roads, and this is a way they could address the issue.
“Really, what they’re doing is unsafe. They’re driving down the road ... it’s kind of a fast-rated speed and they’re probably nervous that a cop’s gonna get after them or something. And if they do, they’re just gonna take off," said Weatherford. "So, it would be better if they, we could put them on a path where they don’t feel uncomfortable and they’re not in the road and we don’t have a chance of someone getting hurt.”
He says this is one way the town is trying to stay one step ahead of growth coming from Charleston and Summerville to accommodate visitors.
Sharon Mims owns Boogators Pool Hall in town and says some of her most loyal customers like to ride golf carts into town on the weekends to shoot pool.
“The problem is, once they get here they start shooting, we’re in our tournaments they run late, it gets dark. By South Carolina State law, we’re not supposed to ride our golf cart," said Mims. “It actually has hurt my business in a way of not being able to get our golf cart riders here to my business.”
Mayor Weatherford says the town plans to work with a civil engineer to map out what the path would look like.
The next council meeting is August 9.