City Council plugs in plan for electric cars
By Brian D. Bridgeford / News Republic
Baraboo residents would have the option of driving quiet, energy efficient cars if state transportation officials approve an ordinance passed by the City Council Tuesday evening. Council members reviewed a city ordinance allowing the use of neighborhood electric vehicles on most city streets. NEVs are light electric-drive cars which must have equipment commonly found on automobiles, such as turn lights and good brakes. State and federal law limit NEVs to roads where the speed limit is 35 mph or less and the vehicles generally travel between 20 and 25 mph. The city ordinance requires drivers of NEVs to follow all traffic laws and to have a valid Wisconsin drivers license. The city ordinance would allow NEVs on major connecting streets within Baraboo including: * * Highway 113 from Broadway to Mound Street. * Highway 123 from Eighth Avenue to Mulberry Street. Although NEVs could drive on South Boulevard/Business Highway 12, state transportation officials will not allow the electric cars to cross Highway 12 near Walmart because the highway's speed limit is too high, City Attorney Mark Reitz told council members. The ordinance provides Alderman Gene Robkin expressed his concern that safety issues with the use of NEVs have not been spoken to adequately. He was also concerned that NEV users would not be able to get to the major shopping centers, such as Walmart and Pierce's Market, Sears and Walgreens. "The major (retail) attractors in this town are like Walmart and Sears, all of which are west of (Highway) 12, Walgreens is west of 12," he said. "I'm not sure how to get there." Drivers often ignore the 25-mph speed limit on Eighth Avenue driving toward West Baraboo, he said. While NEVs have been popular since Reedsburg approved them, the street layout in that city allow drivers to get to shopping areas without crossing major roads, Robkin said. "I kind of agree with Gene, if you can't get across Highway 12, it's pretty restrictive," Alderman Jerry McCammond said. Reitz noted that West Baraboo officials have passed an NEV ordinance and the state allowed NEVs to cross Highway 12 at signal lights within the village. Highway 12 within the village has a lower speed limit than at the Walmart corner, he said. NEV drivers could shop in West Baraboo, but can't legally drive to Walmart. "You have to cross at the lights in West Baraboo," he said. After brief debate, council members approved the NEV ordinance with Robkin and Alderman Mike Cone voting against. During Monday's town of Baraboo Board meeting, Devil's Lake State Park Acting Superintendant Steve Smelzer asked board members to draft and pass an ordinance allowing state park employees only to drive NEVs on town roads within the park for maintenance work. Presently, park employees use a variety of small gas-powered vehicles and their use on public roads is very restricted. Local resident Dave Chickering said he is a frequent park user and would find the electric motors of NEVs less intrusive to the peace of the park than the gas ones used by ATVs and similar vehicles. The town board voted unanimously to have the town Plan Commission work on the issue. Baraboo's new ordinance must be approved by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation before it becomes law, Reitz said.