Segway Scooters
The SUVs of the Sidewalk

George Bush, our illustrious president, illustrates a weapon of mass destruction on June 13th, 2003.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 3, 2002 A member of the Central Atlanta Progress Ambassador Force is treated for his injuries after he toppled from his Segway Thursday night. He injured his knee going up a driveway onto the sidewalk and was taken to Grady Hospital. He is the first person reported with a Segway-related injury.

Segway cracks marble in hisostric office building. Read all about it.

Segways, the SUVs of the sidewalk

Note: on November 25th the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 to ban Segway scooters from the sidewalks of San Francisco.

The reason we have sidewalks is to provide a safe place for pedestrians away from vehicles! That is why San Francisco passed legislation back in 1940 stating:

SEC. 86. VEHICLES SHALL NOT BE DRIVEN ON SIDEWALKS. It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to drive such vehicle within any sidewalk area except at a permanent or temporary driveway. (Ord. 890, App. 10/24/40)

Segway scooters are simply additional dangerous vehicles. They we will only further promote sedentary lifestyles, endanger users, and cause collisions with pedestrians.

It is also appalling that the California Legislature has been pushing forward a bill to redefine "pedestrian" to include users of Segway scooters. Selling our sidewalks to an out of state company while endangering pedestrians is just plain wrong.

Therefore Walk San Francisco pursued legislation to ban Segway scooters from the sidewalks of San Francisco. We asked that this ban take place immediately and last until studies show that the Segway devices are inherently safe and compatible with pedestrians on sidewalks in a San Francisco-style dense urban setting. The ban is specifically for sidewalks and not for multi-use paths that are designed for simultaneous use by pedestrians and vehicles (such as the multi-use paths in the panhandle and in Golden Gate Park).