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There was an unusual scene on the streets of Canton one recent summer day. A dozen or so people outfitted in black helmets rode along the streets and sidewalks, atop strange-looking wheeled platforms. The proprietor of Baltimore’s Segs in the City took a group on a tour of the Baltimore neighborhood riding Segway vehicles to promote this technology as an alternative to conventional vehicles. Several community and transportation planners and environment professionals took the tour.
Segways are two-wheeled motorized vehicles, not at all like motorbikes or bicycles. Between the wheels is a platform that the driver stands on while holding onto handlebars that have left and right directional controls. The vehicle, powered by two electric motors, has tilt sensors that detect the driver’s center of gravity, thus gauging speed and forward or reverse directions. When the driver leans slightly forward, the Segway will move slowly forward. When the driver leans forward more, the speed increases.
Environmentally Beneficial
Segways are promoted as environmentally beneficial vehicles. They are battery powered and produce zero emissions. The batteries hold a charge that can power the vehicle for 24 miles. As the price of gasoline surpasses $3 a gallon, the same cost in electricity to recharge a Segway will give the consumer around 400 miles.
As a participant in the Canton tour, I found that it took only a few minutes to learn to operate and feel comfortable on the Segway. There were a couple of mild mishaps during our journey, but overall, everyone had fun zipping around. As we passed by one Canton row home, an elderly woman peeked out her door and exclaimed, “Oh my, I’ve never seen such a sight.”
“If you remember the television cartoon The Jetsons, it featured a moving platform that carried people,” says Bill Main, owner of the Baltimore Segway franchise. “The Segway is a moving platform that carries people. It’s an efficient mode of transport that can be used for short commutes or in work settings like warehouses or police activities.”
“Police on patrol like using the Segway,” explains Main. “They have a better view being on the nine-inch-high platform. And pedestrians have an easier time talking with them rather than approaching a police cruiser.”
The inventor of Segway, Dean Kamen, envisions the Segway as an attractive alternative for people in cities to use a compact, pollution-free vehicle as opposed to driving cumbersome vehicles that take up space and cause congestion and pollution. The Segway is designed for use with public transit or even for the workplace. The width of the Segway allows it to go into subway cars and fit into elevators.
Move Over Golf Carts – Here Comes Something Maneuverable!
Will congested cities embrace these vehicles? While some cities, such as San Francisco, have adopted ordinances prohibiting Segways on sidewalks, other cities, like Boston, have police forces using Segways for street patrol. Moreover, Segways are gaining popularity on college campuses, golf courses and gated communities.
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