Fresno’s streets may seem crowded enough to some of us already, but if the Fresno City Council gets its way, be prepared to share the road even more.

According to a story by E.J. Schultz from The Fresno Bee, Jeff Roberts of Granville Homes has been advocating for the City of Fresno to begin plans to accommodate “Neighborhood Electric Vehicles” (NEVs) on its roads. Schultz wrote that the Fresno city council voted unanimously to pass a resolution, supporting the idea. Yikes!

According to the piece, NEVs are only allowed on streets with a speed limit of 35 miles-per-hour or less, as they only travel at about that speed. Schultz described them as, “golf carts on steroids.”

Roberts said that Granville promotes the ownership of the vehicles and their use “in its private Copper River Ranch development in north Fresno.” By Jove, how splendid!

Here’s where it gets fun. Assemblyman Mike Villines is just as excited as Roberts. “This is cutting edge. We’ll be the largest city and the first city in the Central Valley to do this.”

According to the Schultz’s story, Villines has introduced bill 1781, which is waiting for approval from the assembly and state senate, which would allow NEVs to roam Fresno’s streets, but with their own lanes.

City engineer Scott Mozier thinks, “Officials would find ways to add the lanes on streets that have extra space.”

Streets that have extra space? Where in Fresno are there main streets with extra space?

I hate to burst peoples’ bubbles, but before the City of Fresno thinks for a moment that this pipe-dream idea could become reality, they should consider a few things first.

This project needs funds, which will more than likely come from the State. For those who haven’t noticed, California is in the middle of a financial crisis. State employees are facing furlough days and layoffs. State services have been limited or cut.

The City of Fresno’s budget is very tight and the Fresno County Sheriff has eliminated correctional officer positions and can’t keep offenders in their cells because of cash flow issues.

Despite these agitations, the elected ones still seem to be quite giddy about the possibility of the tiny car-like vehicles roaming around the city.

Schultz also wrote that Mozier thinks downtown Fresno could be a target for NEV lanes.

Where downtown? Streets surrounding the courthouse are narrow, especially with roadside parking meters. What about the one-way streets? Which side will the NEVs have lanes? With one-ways, some turns aren’t possible if you’re trapped on one side of the street.

Police Chief Jerry Dyer, according to the piece, was concerned about safety, but felt something could be worked out.

Safety is a major concern. Imagine what would happen if a Suburban or a delivery truck collided with a NEV on a busy street? They need to be kept in neighborhoods where they belong, with far less traffic and lower speed limits.

It’s fine if gramps wants to take the kiddies for a ride around the block. But before NEVs are released into the wild, the focus should be on resurfacing Fresno’s washboard streets, as they are and fixing the potholes that rival the size of the Grand Canyon. It’s all about priorities.

After all, if Fresno’s streets can knock my 2,500-pound, 20-year-old Mercedes out of alignment, there’s no telling what they would do to these “golf carts on steroids.”