‘Our fingers are crossed’: Pilot program to allow golf carts on roads in Lighthouse Cove could be coming this spring

Residents are trying out a golf cart pilot program in Lighthouse Cove in Tilbury. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has details.

Lighthouse Cove may soon see golf carts on local roads later this year after the community was added to the Province of Ontario’s golf cart pilot program.

The pilot program, which runs until 2031, would allow residents and visitors to use golf carts on roads with a speed limit of up to 50 kilometres per hour.

“We’re very happy, we’re very excited, and our fingers are crossed,” exclaimed Lighthouse Cove resident Annette Cooper.

Cooper said she and her husband moved to Lighthouse Cove from Sarnia a decade ago after initially drawn to the region on the belief that golf carts were already permitted.

“It was actually a big draw for us,” Cooper stated. “It was one of the reasons we really liked it here. We bought a golf cart right away. We used to go around, meet our neighbors. It was great.”

Cooper said some people complained several years ago, putting an end to people riding on municipally owned roadways.

“We couldn’t believe we saw people getting pulled over in the golf carts and it was like, what’s going on, you know? Are they drinking or are they on their cell phone? But no and all of a sudden it was like, you can’t drive your golf carts anymore. People were getting tickets and it was very discouraging.”

In a new release on Thursday, municipal officials said Lakeshore must pass a by-law to permit golf carts on roads before participating in the pilot program.

“Council and I know that residents in Lighthouse Cove are very keen on participating in the golf cart pilot project, and we are excited to learn more about what Lakeshore can do to facilitate the process,” said Mayor Tracey Bailey. “We appreciate all the residents who’ve advocated for this change over the years, as well as the Ministry of Transportation who worked with us to expand the program.”

The bylaw would define what requirements, such as liability insurance and municipal licensing golf cart owners would need to meet before hitting the road.

“For about four years the community has really been working hard to try to get the MTO to expand the pilot project to include Lighthouse Cove,” said Ward 6 Councillor, Larissa Vogler.

Vogler explained the hope is to be included in the program, much like Pelee Island was in 2021.

“We’re a very unique community with only one road in, one road out, every other street within the community is a dead end,” Volger told CTV News. “We’re surrounded by water. So we’re a very uniquely positioned, geographically, community to enjoy something like this.”

A report on the next steps for joining the golf cart pilot program is expected to be presented to Lakeshore Council in February. If approved, approval from the County of Essex would also be needed since part of Lighthouse Cove is on a County road.

Golf carts are not permitted on municipal roads until the by-law and licensing program is approved. The earliest date that golf carts could be permitted in Lighthouse Cove is April 1, 2025.

Volger added, “The MTO does restrict which months the golf carts are allowed on the roads. So certainly from the months of December through to March, they would not be permitted. So it really is only for those warm weather months.”

For more information about Ontario’s golf cart pilot program, as well as the requirements for drivers, you can visit Ontario.ca/page/golf-cart-pilot-program.