Palm Beach County commissioners directed staff to draft an ordinance authorizing golf carts on a defined stretch of Acme Dairy Road and to return with additional research on other candidate routes and on incidents involving all‑terrain vehicles (ATVs) on county‑maintained unpaved roads.

County engineering staff recommended Acme Dairy Road for a pilot because an existing eight‑foot multiuse pathway runs along the west side of the road and connects residential subdivisions, the Canyons Library branch and two schools (West Point Middle School and Sunset Ponds Elementary). Commissioners praised the connectivity benefits for neighborhoods where residents commonly use golf carts for short trips, school drop‑offs and library access, but repeatedly stressed safety requirements including driver licensing, lighting, signage and possible insurance or registration conditions.

David Riggs, director of engineering and public works, summarized statutory limits that govern golf cart operation and said state law exempts golf carts that meet a statutory definition from vehicle registration, which affects requirements such as title and certain registrations. Riggs told the board that the county’s research identified several Florida municipalities with ordinances permitting golf carts on specified streets or pathways; staff also said the county’s preliminary mapping showed roughly 800 miles of county roads posted at 35 mph or less, which could be considered in a future, designated‑route program but would require site‑by‑site review.

Commissioners described three staff options: (1) a targeted pilot at Acme Dairy Road using the existing 8‑foot pathway; (2) a district‑by‑district designation process to identify additional eligible routes in the county; and (3) repeal of the county’s 2007 local restriction on ATV operation on unpaved county roads (a separate policy issue raised for study). The board indicated support for option 1 as a pilot and asked staff to return a draft ordinance for that corridor. The board also asked staff to study option 2 and to compile incident and enforcement data tied to option 3 (ATVs) on county‑maintained unpaved roads before considering any repeal.

Commissioners raised safety concerns the staff said would be addressed in ordinance language: a minimum driver‑license requirement, signage, pathway clearance (an unobstructed 8‑foot width was cited), speed limits for carts on pathways (staff and jurisdictions the county reviewed commonly set a 15‑mph maximum for golf carts on shared pathways), and coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) on reporting and enforcement. Deputy County Administrator Tracy Ellison and county engineering staff told the board that state background rules mean municipalities can require local registration or insurance as part of a local ordinance only when the vehicle meets registration standards; staff noted that many neighborhoods said their residents typically register and insure their carts but that insurance availability depends on vehicle type and whether the cart is street legal.

Commissioners emphasized that multiuse‑path conflicts should be considered in drafting the ordinance. Several commissioners suggested language that would require golf carts to yield to pedestrians and smaller nonmotorized users; staff agreed to draft clarifying ordinance text and signage plans. The board also asked county staff to consult with PBSO about incident reporting so collisions involving golf carts or other small electric vehicles can be segregated in law‑enforcement data for future analysis.

On ATVs, commissioners were split: some said repealing the 2007 restriction on unpaved county roads could provide legal recreational space where safe; others said resident complaints and enforcement limits counsel against repeal without incident data. Staff will compile accident and PBSO enforcement records for county‑maintained unpaved roadways and return for further board consideration.

The board directed staff to return a draft ordinance for the Acme Dairy Road pilot and to provide the requested studies on designated routes and ATV incidents at a future meeting. Commissioners also asked that countywide transportation planning consultants consider golf carts and other alternative mobility modes in the countywide transportation master plan work.