Candidates in the second round of Council District 4 comment on the safety of golf carts on the island

• An Islander says he was hit by a golf cart while walking along Hawksnest Bay Drive on Halloween night.
• He is advocating for better golf cart safety on the island, hoping that no one else, especially children, is hit by a golf cart.
• The Corpus Christi City Council District 4 race is headed to a runoff, so Erin Holly asked the candidates where they stand on the issue.
• Both May Nardone Mendoza and Kaylynn Paxson said they want to get the Padre Island Mobility plan started as soon as possible, which would add dedicated paths just for golf carts.

A Padre Island neighbor, 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 worries if a child were to be hit by a golf cart like he was.

“Suddenly, 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 have been a little five-year-old child, that child could have been really hurt,” Smith said. “My biggest concern is for the children, and I think for the future, for safety, they need to close off these streets and make them pedestrian traffic only.”

Neighbors host an annual Halloween gathering on Hawksnest Bay Drive, and it becomes more popular every year. But Smith says he’s concerned about safety not just on Halloween, but all year round.

“We come here every year. It’s getting busier, busier, more golf carts, and I always say someone is going to get hit one of these days. Well, I got bumped into and run over a bit. And I thought this would happen more often. I talked to someone who said someone gets hit every year,” Smith said.

With the recent announcement that the race for Corpus Christi City Council District 4 is headed to a runoff, Padre Island neighborhood news reporter Erin Holly spoke with the two candidates about what possible plans they might have to improve golf cart safety on the island improve if chosen.

“We are currently working on the island mobility plan, but it is not finalized yet, but we need to ensure that sooner or later this becomes a reality so that we have some safe golf cart paths for our islanders to get around,” May Mardone said. Mendoza, candidate for City Council District 4, said.
“The island loves to get out and walk, cycle and play golf. We golf cart almost everywhere on any given day. And that’s part of the culture here, so it’s a big priority for us. And so for me, if elected, I want to make sure that we get those plans implemented,” said Kaylynn Paxson, candidate for City Council District 4.

According to the City of Corpus Christi’s Padre/Mustang Island Mobility Plan, a study has been initiated by the City of Corpus Christi to continue previous planning efforts for the area. The study analyzes the existing transportation system for hiking, biking, golf cart, and personal watercraft trails, taking into account the recommendations of previous planning efforts and current development projects.

The Padre/Mustang Island Mobility Plan is still in the early stages of planning, and the most recent community open house meeting on the matter took place in April 2024.

Residents like Smith want the mobility plan to start as soon as possible to ensure the safety of motorists, golf cart riders, cyclists and pedestrians.

“Put golf cart paths along the side of the road so the golf carts can travel safely,” Smith said. “Everyone is just here to have fun. And we want it to be safe for the people in the cars and the people on the golf carts.”

For more information about the Padre/Mustang Island Mobility Plan, click here.

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