Group wants to ban motorized scooters from sidewal [Archive]

Casey

11-05-2002, 12:39 PM

quote: November 4, 2002

Group wants to ban motorized scooters from sidewalks
By DAN WHITE
Sentinel staff writer

A group of local pedestrians-rights advocates wants to ban the much-hyped Segway Human Transporter from city sidewalks.

The devices look like a cross between a push lawnmower and a two-wheeled Roman chariot. Segways have a standing platform, smart keys and handlebars atop two wheels. They are operated by an electric propulsion system, kicking out less than 1 horsepower, or 750 watts of power.

Debbie Bulger of Mission Pedestrian, an advocacy group, said Santa Cruz must act soon to keep sidewalks safe. The group is connected to California Walks, a coalition of groups promoting "walkable, safe and accessible communities."

Bulger did not have a membership estimate for Mission Pedestrian but said the group came to life after more than 600 people pushed to preserve crosswalks on Mission Street during its widening project.

Several senior-citizens groups in the state, and the California Council of the Blind, also oppose Segways on sidewalks. Bans, if successful, would pose a problem for the company because the transporter’s "consumer models" are designed for sidewalks. Segway, however, has been marketing the products to corporations and government agencies.

The City Council has yet to discuss the pedestrian group’s request, but Vice Mayor Emily Reilly said she was sympathetic. She asked City Attorney John Barisone to look into the wording of the suggested ban.

Reilly said the Segway is "a very cool piece of equipment, but I don’t think they belong on the sidewalks. I think pedestrians have to fight for every scrap of space we can get."

Bulger said there was "no viable way" to enforce Segway safety on sidewalks, and she’s concerned the machines aren’t equipped to stop fast enough.

Carla Vallone, a spokeswoman for Segway, said it was "somewhat premature to begin to regulate (against Segway use) on the local level" because the devices are not legal on sidewalks.

"We encourage people like Mission Pedestrians to talk about Segway and how we can work together with city leaders to ensure (safety)," Vallone said.

Bulger says the walking group’s efforts are hardly pre-emptive, because Segway has convinced more than 30 states — including California — to approve legislation allowing "electric personal assistive mobility devices," such as Segway, on sidewalks starting next year.

Gov. Gray Davis, hailing the devices as a "new and innovative means of individual transportation without pollution, significant levels of noise or massive parking areas," approved legislation allowing them on sidewalks. California’s mobility-device law allows communities to regulate Segways and to levy sidewalk bans if they choose.

Segway models available only for commercial purposes cost $5,000. The machines recently appeared in San Francisco during a six-week tryout by the U.S. Postal Service.

Vallone of Segway said the models that go up to 12.5 mph are exclusively commercial and intended for business use, not sidewalks. She said the company has not determined the top speed for the consumer or pedestrian-oriented models.

She said a Segway has a high level of control, and that the machine remains upright even if the speed is very low or even if the device is standing still.

She also said the devices were slender enough to not cause a hazard.

Contact Dan White at dwhite@santa-cruz.com.