Segway faces hurdles in Toronto
Robyn Reisler, founder and president of Segway of Ontario, is a little worried these days. He e-mailed me last week pointing out that the city’s pedestrian committee has voted to recommend to the city council Works Committee that Segway Human Transporters been banned from city sidewalks.
I wonder how many people on this city committee have actually taken a Segway for a ride? I wonder if they’ve seen a report on the Segway that was released last September by the Centre for Electric Vehicle Experimentation in Quebec, which states “Segways are very stable, run quietly and smoothly, and give users a feeling of being in control. They are easy to manoeuvre, accelerate gently, run silently and can stop quickly in case of emergency”? I wonder if they realize that we’re never going to deal with the downtown smog problem unless we encourage the use of low-polluting vehicles and offer residents a variety of alternatives?
I’ve taken a Segway for a spin, and there’s no question in my mind that you have more control over these two-wheel vehicles than roller blades, skate boards and other non-mechanical wheels being used on sidewalks today by kids who have no concern over safety or the people around them. I’m hoping the Works Committee is more open minded about the Segway and will reject the Pedestrian Committee’s recommendation…
Tyler Hamilton is senior energy reporter and columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper. In addition to this Clean Break blog, Tyler writes a weekly column of the same name that discusses trends, happenings and innovators in the cleantech market. This blog is a personal project started in April 2005. It is not an official blog of the newspaper. Tyler can be reached at tyler@cleanbreak.ca
May 7th, 2005 at 4:55 pm
Segway should face hurtles everywhere as it is the new bully on the sidewalk.
Just imagine the damage that a Segway would inflicte on any of today�s sidewalk stakeholder if they were to be impacted by a machine and rider weighing several hundred pounds traveling at 20 kph — OUCH!
This hazard is further compounded by the fact(s) that the National Safety Council has determined that the average reaction time for an emergency braking situation is three-quarters of a second. At even 20 kph a Segway would therefore travel an average of 13 feet before the user would even initiate braking. San Francisco was on the right track when on Nov. 25/2004 the Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 to ban Segways from the sidewalks — the reason”we have sidewalks is to provide a safe place for pedestrians away from vehicles!!
More Segway antithesis can be found at http://segwayforontario.blogspot.com
Bill Brunton, Guelph ON.
June 4th, 2005 at 9:36 am
Comment Body:
You may have read:
- Segway driver in Niagara Falls was fined $8,000 last year. Latest updated Mon, 04 Oct 2004 13:35:57 EDT (Ref http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/10/04/segway_041004.html)
- San Francisco has banned Segways Nov. 25/04
- New York has banned Segways
- Disney has banned Segways from their theme parks
- Most of Europe except France is off-limits to Segway. Apparently Segway didn’t seek approval in the European Union. Under current regulations, the gyroscope-driven scooter would have been classified as a moped even though it doesn’t meet basic technical requirements for such a vehicle. Among other things, the Segway doesn’t have lights or brakes, which are mandatory on a moped.
- In some states, under new regulation, electric vehicles i.e. Segways will be allowed on the sidewalks, but only at maximum speed of 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) per hour, about the speed of an average pedestrian. However, going that slow on a Segway, which can travel at speeds up to 12.5 miles per hour (20kph), seems to defeat its purpose. As stated on the Segway site at (http://www.segway.com ) the idea of the Segway is to “travel quicker and accomplish more in less time.”
- the scooter finds itself with more detractors than customers. Consumer and health advocates warn of possible injuries and rising obesity.
- City governments worry about chaos on their sidewalks.
- Workers at businesses and municipalities that have tested the transporters aren’t exactly sending in rave reviews, either. “You can’t keep warm if you’re not walking,” says a postal worker in Concord, N.H. “You end up like a frozen popsicle on a stick.”( Ref http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2003/sb20030116_1926.htm )
Segways can cost up to $7195.00 Cdn. for current models; this translates into a lot of taxi rides. Or you can rent a Segway for up to $50.00 Cdn per hour; is this realistic when you can rent a car for as little as $9.99 per day??
If Segways are approved for use on the sidewalks of Toronto we can expect:
- severe sidewalk tensions in dense pedestrian districts
- the prospect of dodging even a handful of Segway riders at the busiest intersections in Toronto at rush hour is enough to give many people pause.
- Segways would no doubt be popular with couriers and parcel delivery personnel. New by-laws will have to be drafted to licence Segway couriers and assure mechanical fitness of their machines. Because Couriers will adapt trailers and sidecars to their Segways that will no doubt resemble sidewalk trains.
- Not in harmony with Dr. Sheela Basrur�s, Ontario�s Chief Medical Officer, directive �It is important for everyone from urban planners and elected officials to individuals to do what they can to create neighborhoods and communities that promote more exercise.�
Any approval of the Segway for use on the sidewalks of TO would alter the basic balance between human and machine in the city. The Segway presents clear potential risk to children, seniors, persons with disability and other legitimate sidewalk users with the sole benefit economically to some Segway.com corporation. Pedestrians are already a vulnerable and beleaguered group; it would be wrong and unsafe to make the legitimate sidewalk demographics share scarce sidewalk space with any motorized vehicle whether it is called an “Electronic Personal Assistive Mobility Devices”, Human Transporter� or a Segway. Also, if the Segway is approved the floodgates will open for pocket crotch rockets, electric tricycles, electric go-cars etc. all under the catch phrase “Electronic Personal Assistive Mobility Devices”.
The evolution of Toronto is like most cities has been one of �accommodation to the auto by narrowing sidewalks to create more lanes for car and truck traffic and rounding corners to make it easier for cars to turn. Much of this has been at the expense of pedestrians�. Let us not forget Mrs. Jane Jacobs�s observation of Toronto streets �Toronto is alive. Its downtown streets are teeming with people. Multitudes of them actually live in the city center in apartment buildings and houses, and the sidewalks are jammed, in some places until late at night.� In other words a safe and aesthetic sidewalk space promotes neighborhood interaction — it is up to the Works Committee and Toronto City Council to preserve Toronto�s identity.
Any redefinition by the TO Works Committee of �pedestrian� for the benefit of a single company is outrageously inappropriate. It is incumbent that TO and every other city in Canada keep the sidewalks safe and not provide preferential sidewalk access to the wealthy for the sole economic benefit of some Segway.com corporation.
Pam Prescott
http://www.segwayforontario.blogspot.com/
December 31st, 2005 at 8:53 am
Wow!! Where do you find the time to develop such a cohesive-sounding article about a technology you clearly know nothing about? What do you do with your time?
June 10th, 2006 at 11:17 pm
This long article about the fasle info allowing segways will pave the way for pocket bikes go-carts and so on is so wrong. London Ontario is set up on a temporarily trial by-law aloowing segways on sidewalks. The girl has prostectic legs and the family used to load her up in a wagon and go for bike rides now she has the freedom of transpoting her self. Motorised wheel chairs can cost up to 15000.00 canadian. So don’t go saying that segways are for rich people they are more manuverable than power chairs and with a little practice you can even hop over curves. You don’t know what you type. Next time you want to bad mouth something go out and try it first.
August 29th, 2006 at 12:16 pm
Hey Bill…. Maybe you should just stay in Guelph and keep your views of Toronto to yourself…. moron.
May 31st, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Bill, I appreciate your concern but have you ever ridden on a Segway? I used to share your EXACT feelings, but then I rode one for the first time a few days ago and I can say from firsthand experience that I was wrong!
Sure, if you’re going at full speed down a busy sidewalk and someone suddenly jumps into your path, there might be some trouble. But this argument is flawed:
1. Just because the Segway CAN go 12.5 mph doesn’t mean your average responsible user WILL go that fast on a crowded sidewalk. It will more likely be something like 6-8 mph at most when there are people around.
2. Even at 12.5 mph, a Segway is FAR easier to stop than other transportation modes allowed on sidewalks, such as bikes, rollerblades or skateboards. The latter modes either don’t have braking systems at all, or rely on friction to slow down their forward momentum; the Segway motor powers the stop, and will even go backwards.