New Fayette County golf cart tunnel offers safe path to school

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A golf cart tunnel in Fayette County allows students to get to school without crossing a busy road. 

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. -
For Fayette County families who use a golf cart to get to school, and that’s quite a number, a new multi-million-dollar tunnel is open to help cross a busy and dangerous street.

Golf cart tunnel for Peachtree City students

What we know:

The first day of school was the first test of a $4 million golf cart tunnel system designed to get kids and their families to school safely-- at three separate schools. But most importantly, for high school, where even younger students are allowed to drive their family’s golf cart instead of their family’s car to school. Those schools include Peeples Elementary, Rising Star Middle and Starr’s Mill High school. The golf cart traffic will not have to cross busy Redwine Road. Instead, they cross under it, in a tunnel that has been years in planning and months under construction this past summer.

Starr’s Mills High Principal Jamie Voorhies welcomes this added layer of safety to the community around her school.

"Redwine is a very, very busy road and our students were having to cross even when a patrol person wasn’t there during morning and afternoon traffic, which to me is a safety concern," she said.

On the first day of school, FOX 5 saw numerous golf carts trying out the new tunnel as they headed to the Fayette County campus that houses the three schools.

School kids using golf carts

The backstory:

Golf cart parking at Starr’s Mill High School started 10 years ago. Students with at least a valid Georgia driver’s permit can park at the school to attend classes and student activities. The tunnel had been on the drawing board for 9 years. It was completed this past summer and opened recently to golf cart traffic.

"It just provides students with opportunities to stay after school later for different activities without being tied to the bus schedule, so it provides an open door for opportunities for sure," Voorhies said.

Golf cart tunnel safety

What's next:

Community reaction has been mixed, with some concerned about limited visibility at the tunnel ends. County officials responded by placing convex mirrors at both ends of the tunnels so that drivers can see cross traffic. They say additional remedies are possible.

"Additional signs, striping on the pavement, even speed bumps or stop signs. I’d rather not do that until it’s absolutely needed. If, indication from people I’ve talked with is this seems to be working good," said Phil Mallon of Fayette County Public Works.