With a population of around 10,000, Wendell, North Carolina, promotes itself with the motto: “Small Town, Big Charm.”
Considerably enhancing the town’s appeal, according to mayor pro tem Jason Joyner, is its widespread use of golf carts – on the roadways as well as the fairways. Which is one of the reasons Joyner has helped rewrite several town ordinances making golf carts legal to drive on many of Wendell’s streets.
“We’re a bedroom community of Raleigh,” Joyner said. “We’re a small town. We’ve got a main street. It’s nice. But you know, it’s less than 20 vendors. So when mom and dad get in the car with kids, maybe they leave Wendell. Our thought has been that if we make downtown and being in town an experience that is fun, we’ll keep them here.
“My daughter loves to jump on the golf cart and go get ice cream. I’m probably not putting her and her sister in car seats and getting in the car and driving down there to find parking. Whereas it’s a fun adventure in the golf cart. It’s another way to enjoy the town.”
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