- One island resident says he was hit by a golf cart while walking on Hawksnest Bay Drive on Halloween night.
- He is advocating for improved golf cart safety on the island, hoping that no one else , especially children, get hit by a golf cart.
- The Corpus Christi City Council District 4 race is heading into a runoff, so Erin Holly asked candidates where they stand on this topic.
- Both May Nardone Mendoza and Kaylynn Paxson said they want to get the Padre Island Mobility plan underway as soon as possible, which would add special paths only for golf carts.
One Padre Island neighbor named Steve Smith said he was hit by a golf cart while walking along Hawksnest Bay Drive on Halloween night. He said he only had minor injuries to his leg, but he is concerned about if a child were to be hit by a golf cart like he was.
“All of a sudden, at a very slow speed, a golf cart tire climbed up the back of my leg and pulled me down. I’m a big target, but if that would’ve been a little 5-year-old child, you know, that kid could’ve got hurt really bad," Smith said. "My main concern is for the kids, and I think for the future, for safety, they should block these streets off and make it for pedestrian traffic only."
Neighbors host an annual Halloween gathering on Hawksnest Bay Drive, and it gets more popular every year. But Smith says he's concerned about safety not only on Halloween but all year round.
“We come out here every year. It gets more crowded, more congested, more golf carts, and I always say that one of these days, somebody’s gonna get hit. Well, I got bumped into and run over a little bit. And I figured this might happen a lot. I talked to someone who said every year, somebody gets hit," Smith said.
With the recent announcement that the race for Corpus Christi City Council District 4 is heading into a runoff, Padre Island neighborhood news reporter Erin Holly talked to the two candidates about what potential plans they might have in place to improve golf cart safety on the island if elected.
“We’re currently working on the Island Mobility Plan, but that’s still off aways, but making sure that comes to fruition sooner than later so that we have some safety golf cart paths for our islanders to be able to get around," May Mardone Mendoza, City Council District 4 Candidate said.
“The island likes to get out and walk, bike, and golf cart. We golf cart almost anywhere on any given day. And that’s part of the culture out here, so it’s a big priority to us. And so for me, if elected, I want to make sure that we get the follow through on those plans," Kaylynn Paxson, City Council District 4 Candidate, said.
According to the City of Corpus Christi, The Padre/Mustang Island Mobility Plan, a study was initiated by the City of Corpus Christi to further previous planning efforts conducted for the area. The study analyzes the existing transportation system for walking, cycling, golf cart, and watercraft pathways while taking into consideration the recommendations from previous planning efforts and current development projects.
The Padre/Mustang Island Mobility Plan is still in the initial planning phases, and the most recent community open house public meeting about it was held in April 2024.
Residents like Smith want to see the mobility plan get underway as soon as possible to ensure safety for drivers, golf cart riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike.
“Put golf cart paths on the side of the road, and that way the golf carts can travel safely," Smith said. "Everybody’s just down here to have fun. And we want it safe for the people in the cars, and the people on the golf carts."\
For more information on the Padre/Mustang Island Mobility Plan, click here.
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