BIKE: Segways & Electric Bikes on Trails

[Librik or Babich]

Jeb Boyt wrote:

> I would appreciate hearing from anyone with comments or concerns regarding
> the use of Segways and/or electric bikes on the Town Lake Trail and/or other
> trails in Austin.

I will admit that I find Segways a bit depressing. If they were set out to
operate with a "vehicular" sensibility then they would be great, helping us
bicyclists stake out the streets as a place where it is OK to go 10-15 mph. But
instead they put it forth as the motor vehicle for the sidewalk, outclassing the
pedestrian in what is supposedly pedestrian space.

But it is tough to regulate light electric vehicles relative to bikes, since
both categories fall in that barely understood zone between person and car. As
much as I would like to see Segways hounded out of the pedestrian space, this
cannot happen without nailing the electric bicycles, which then threatens the
bikes.

I think the sensible thing to do is bar electric vehicles from any place where
bikes are prohibited, basically downtown sidewalks or any other situation where
light vehicle traffic (e.g. bicycles) is deemed a hazard. .

More particular to the trails, I do not think that organized groups of vehicles
should openly operate on the trails. This would limit bike parades, and electric
bike or Segway tours. While I think it is possible for a disciplined group of
riders to insure that nobody feels threatened (more than just nobody getting
hurt, nobody should feel particularly threatened), a convoy of vehicles trying
to operate together is an object too large for what is essentially a pedestrian
trail. I am sure that proponents of group rides can point to some best case
scenarios where everything works fine, but since it is the nature of business to
want to do things bigger and thereby more profitably, there is nothing limiting
a business from trying to put too many vehicles together on a trail at once.

I think Segways in the bike lane are just fine. Bikes and Segways are about an
equal match. But I do not think they are appropriate for covering lots of ground
("making time," "whizzing along") in pedestrian space, just as the bicycle is
not.

--
Mike Librik, LCI #929
Easy Street Recumbents
512-453-0438
45th and Red River St., thereabouts
Central Austin
info
www.easystreetrecumbents.com
www.urbancycling.com

"Is it about a bicycle?"