Richard Burris is on a mission. The Lakewood resident is chair of the transportation committee for the Tatoosh Chapter of Sierra Club. He wants to make electric carts, such as those used on golf courses, a feasible and legal choice for people to use on short trips instead of cars. He is trying to get Tacoma and other cities to approve pilot programs that would allow their use. These would likely have certain restrictions, such as use in daylight hours by licensed drivers.
Burris and State Representative Tami Green sent a letter to State Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond. They asked if the state needed to issue a waiver to allow for the pilot projects. Hammond replied that if the carts are used on streets with a speed limit at 35 miles per hour, then it is an issue to be determined by local governments.
State law does not define such carts. Some electric-powered devices are classified as vehicles, meaning operators must have a driver’s license. Burris said the carts fall in the same category as bicycles. Carts need a slightly wider clearance for use on streets, 3.9 feet compared to 3.3 for bicycles. Carts do not exceed 19 miles per hour, he noted.
While bicycling is promoted by many local governments, not everyone can use this as a mode of transportation. The carts “expand mobility options for a huge array of people.”
A good used cart costs about $3,000. Charging one up costs about 50 cents. They are much better on the environment in town than cars, which tend to spout off the most amount of pollution when used for short distances.
Orting is poised to approve use of these carts on city streets. The mayor and a city council member there have been quite supportive, Burris said, as has State Senator Randi Becker of Eatonville. “Everyone has been very receptive to the idea.”
Last month he discussed his idea during a meeting of Tacoma City Council’s Environment and Public Works Committee. “I think they see the wisdom of it,” Burris remarked. He has had several discussions with Dick McKinley, the city’s public works director.
State officials will likely want to see if there are any safety issues with carts sharing the road with cars. Burris noted that big trucks can collide with bicycles, yet both are allowed on streets.
“Everything is a risk. You balance it with what you gain,” Burris said. “I want to leave some air for my grandchildren to breathe.”
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