Families who use golf carts to take their children to Bixby East Elementary are questioning whether they can continue a neighborhood routine after Oklahoma Highway Patrol told the district it would begin patrolling for carts not authorized by city ordinance. Parents say the trips have helped ease traffic around the school, but they cannot get a clear answer about which regulations apply.
The uncertainty centers on the location of the school and nearby homes. Parent Tiffany Robison said families have received information about ordinances in both Broken Arrow and Bixby, even though she said they live outside Bixby and incorporated Broken Arrow. That has left them wondering whether statewide rules govern their use of the carts.
Robison said families previously crossed the crosswalk in their carts and continued onto school property to bring their children close to the entrance. Another parent, Ashley Squance, said her family purchased a cart this year after watching neighbors use them for years with the school's permission. Her son had just started preschool and enjoyed making the trip in the cart.
Both mothers said their efforts to determine the applicable rules have produced little clarity. Squance said they contacted commissioners and a deputy commissioner, who was also struggling to obtain consistent answers. The change has left her feeling that families using the carts are being singled out over a practice that had not previously caused problems.
Bixby Police Officer Levi Ethridge described the school and surrounding neighborhoods as a jurisdictional gray area. He said law enforcement has authority on the campus and nearby streets, but that authority does not necessarily mean Bixby's municipal ordinances apply in those neighborhoods. KJRH 2 News sought a response from Oklahoma Highway Patrol but did not receive one.
Robison and Squance said they do not believe golf carts should be permitted to travel along city streets such as 131st, which passes in front of the school. Their concern is whether they could be stopped while driving within their own neighborhood. Squance said the carts have helped with neighborhood safety and congestion, while Robison said the practice had gone on for four years without becoming an issue.
Ethridge said golf carts are allowed within Bixby when drivers comply with its ordinance. According to police, carts must have four wheels, travel no faster than 20 mph and operate only between sunrise and sunset on roads with speed limits of 25 mph or less. Highway crossings must be perpendicular and made at an intersection or crosswalk.
Bixby's requirements also include a licensed driver, valid cart insurance and seatbelts properly securing every occupant. Required equipment includes daytime running lights, brake lights, turn signals, a rearview mirror, a horn and a locking brake. A manufacturer's serial number must also be visible.
