|
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
|
||
| SEARCH | SUBSCRIBE | ||
Want to support Global Action on Aging? Click below: Thanks!
Some related articles : |
 |
Walkers Fight to Keep Scooters off SidewalkBy: Ann E. Marimow, Mercury News August 14, 2002 SACRAMENTO - The makers of the Segway Human Transporter envision a day when people will leave their cars in the garage in favor of grabbing their electric scooters for quick trips to the grocery store. But first, they have to get the scooters on the sidewalks. A bill by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Concord, that would allow the devices that resemble lawn mowers on steroids to cruise city sidewalks for a five-year trial faces a showdown today before the Assembly Appropriations Committee. It may be a bumpy ride. Advocates for senior citizens, the disabled and pedestrians say the bill would turn California sidewalks into raceways, imperiling people who don't move as fast as the Segway's maximum 12.5 mph speed. ``It will forever change our definition of the sidewalk as a safe place where people can walk and converse,'' said Bruce Lee Livingston, executive director of the Senior Action Network in San Francisco, who has assembled a coalition of opponents. But Segway insists that thousands of hours of company testing and real-world use by police, emergency medical services and park rangers have shown it is a safe and useful tool in some of the most crowded pedestrian spots. The company also stresses that fears of thousands of Segways taking over California sidewalks overnight are unfounded. ``This is evolutionary as opposed to revolutionary,'' said spokesman Tobe Cohen. The Segway is propelled by two electric motors and uses gyroscopes and computer sensors for stability and direction. It moves forward and backward with the shifting weight of the rider and turns with the twist of a handlebar. Thirty-one states -- from New Jersey to North Dakota to New Mexico -- have already passed legislation this year to allow Segways on sidewalks, according to Matt Dailida, who is overseeing the company's multistate effort. Two more governors are expected to sign similar legislation within the month. But in the home of high-tech and the back yard of one of its biggest supporters -- Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr -- the Segway is facing mounting opposition. Torlakson says opponents are overreacting. He has agreed to amend his bill to delay the start date by two months, to March 2003, and to require some type of horn. ``We think it's ironic,'' said Fred Pownall, a Sacramento lobbyist hired by Segway. ``Many of the people opposing it don't understand that it will be a revolution for many of the people with disabilities who they represent.'' Still, some Democratic lawmakers share the concerns of the strollers. ``What about people who can't get out of the way?'' said Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, D-Berkeley. ``How will the people who drive these things be held accountable?'' Segway representatives say the technology is designed to help the elderly and disabled, not endanger them. Inventor Dean Kamen, famed for creating such medical devices as the portable insulin pump for diabetics, envisions the Segway as a tool for law enforcement and the Postal Service and as a way to transport people around airports and shopping malls with ease. But with each Segway expected to cost $3,000, the opposition isn't convinced of the company's altruistic intent. ``This is a story of corporate greed and reckless legislation,'' said Livingston of the senior network. ``It's a trendy transportation of choice.'' Segway was introduced with much fanfare and anticipation in December with support from big-time investors like Doerr of Menlo Park-based Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Doerr is said to have chipped in more than $30 million for the endeavor. Since then, the company has launched a successful nationwide lobbying campaign to put its product on sidewalks. In California, the legislation would create a new category of pedestrian for the Segway: Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Device. That language would allow the Segway to motor on sidewalks for the trial period. It would then be up to individual communities to decide whether to limit or ban the use of the Segway. Two dozen lawmakers have test-driven the Segway. So have Palo Alto Transportation Director Joe Kott and Police Chief Pat Dwyer. Kott is convinced the Segway belongs on the sidewalk, even in places like downtown University Avenue where bicycles and in-line skates are prohibited. ``If we want more people to get out of cars, we need lots of alternatives,'' he said. ``Segway provides one.'' So far, reviews from test runs by the Postal Service and police departments have been mixed. In San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, six Segways are carrying delivery people and their mail up and down the notoriously vertical route. The Segway has cut delivery time by one hour, said post office branch manager Arthur Corpuz, because postal workers don't have to wait for public transportation and can carry a heavier load. But in Manchester, N.H., a police department spokesman said the Segway isn't as versatile as a bicycle. And Federal Express has decided not to pursue the idea. The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children's Hospital in Ohio has devoted a Web site to the nationwide effort against the Segway. The center stands on the side of the writers for the TV show ``Saturday Night Live.'' ``After a year of speculation, inventor Dean Kamen unveiled his mysterious `It,' which is a battery-powered two-wheel people mover,'' said a segment on the April 27 show. ``Many believe it will completely revolutionize the way people get hit by cars.'' FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Action on Aging distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
|
