I just finished your recent article regarding the proposition of simply setting gate arms to raise automatically as vehicles approach instead of the current system requiring a card scan or an enhanced system like Sunpass uses to scan vehicles.
While I am supportive of a system enhancement such as the “Sunpass” solution so that residents do not have to roll down windows every time they approach a gate, the idea of automating the arms for every vehicle as it approaches will, I expect, result in more traffic headaches and many more accidents. As a resident in the southern section of The Villages, I cross Meggison Road on the “multi-modal trail” near Sawgrass several times each day. That particular crossing has four lanes of auto traffic and often requires waiting a prolonged amount of time to cross.
The saving grace is the brief delay that sometimes results as vehicles must scan or press a button to get the arm to raise, providing an opportunity for golf carts to cross. Elimination of that brief delay will result in bottlenecks for carts and likely more aggressive (risky) behavior that could cost lives…