[sustran] Re: Segway's assault on walking...redefinition of road space

[Perkins, Alan (TSA)]

There was a recent e-mail debate within our transport department concerning
Vespas.  Someone suggested that we should start to promote motor scooters as
a sustainable alternative to car use (particularly, in Australian cities, as
an alternative to the second family car).  The traffic safety people
expressed great alarm at encouraging such a dangerous form of travel.
Around the same time a prominent Adelaide businessman complained about the
ban on riding razor scooters in the city's main pedestrain mall (he had been
razor scooting to work).
 
We may well be seeing the beginnings of a broader debate about how to
accommodate that increasingly wide range of devices that fit (or at the
moment don't fit) between walking and the car - roller-blades,
roller-skates, skateboards, razor scooters, motorised razor scooters,
bicycles, bicycles with motors, electric wheelchairs, motor scooters - and
now The Segway.
 
Australian cities are generally blessed with wide roads, and generous
footpaths.  So physically there is the potential to do a great deal to
redefine the use of the road reserve.  The answers for local residential
streets may lie with the continuing expansion of traffic calming measures
and wider introduction of "shared zones" - Woonerf style.  For the more
trafficed collector and arterial roads however we have unanswered questions.
What goes on the footpath and what goes on the road ?  Is average speed of
travel the key determinant ?  In an ideal world, would we slow all motorised
traffic down to 40 km/hr and introduce road rules to facilitate the
intermediate modes mixing with car traffic (but then we'd slow the buses as
well) ?
 
I'm wondering if the issues associated with the redefinition of main road
space away from car dominance and towards this wider range of modes (not
just bus lanes and cycle lanes) have been progressed further elsewhere in
western cities.  But also if any developing world cities (most appear to be
moving in the same direction as western cities have done in the past -
towards squeezing other modes while expanding road space for the car) have
found a good balance, from which we can gain some new ideas.
 

Alan Perkins 

Alan Perkins 
Adviser, Sustainable Transport and Planning 
Transport Policy Group 
Transport SA 
PO Box 1 
Walkerville 
South Australia 
5081 
ph 61 (8) 8343 2436 
fax 61 (8) 8343 2939 
alan.perkins at transport.sa.gov.au 

-----Original Message-----
From: Piotr Olszewski (Assoc Prof) [mailto:COLSZE at ntu.edu.sg]
Sent: Monday, 10 December 2001 2:12 AM
To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
Subject: RE: [sustran] Segway's assault on walking


I agree that at the current price of $3000, Segway HT looks like not more
than an extravagant toy.  But I would not be so sceptical about its future
prospects. 

For argument’s sake, let’s assume that it becomes popular, proves to be safe
and reliable, is mass-produced and the price drops to ~$500.  There could be
some positive effects of this for transport sustainability:

- Human transporter (HT) increases personal mobility so it would not only
replace some longer walking trips but also some short car/transit trips. And
it is certainly more energy efficient and cleaner than the existing
motorised modes.

- A rail-HT intermodal combination could prove to be an attractive travel
alternative. 

- HT popularity could create pressure for more, better, wider footpaths (or
bicycle paths) which would benefit pedestrians (cyclists).

- If an HT industry develops, there could be positive spin-offs in terms of
more efficient batteries and other components which could be used for
electrical bikes, sit-down scooters, etc.

So will all this really happen?  There are too many ‘ifs’, so we’ll have to
wait and see… For the time being, those interested can check out the Segway
webpage: http://www.segway.com/consumer/vision/
<http://www.segway.com/consumer/vision/> 

Piotr Olszewski

 

-----Original Message----- 
From: Paul Barter 
Sent: Fri 12/7/2001 2:09 PM 
To: 'sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org' 
Cc: 
Subject: [sustran] Segway's assault on walking



A sceptical article about the hype on an interesting, weird even, new
transport invention launched this week. Look at the picture.  But in any
case unlikely to have much relevance in poor countries in near future with a
$3000 price tag.
Paul


http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/12/07/segway/print.html
<http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/12/07/segway/print.html> 

Segway's assault on walking
Dean Kamen's much-hyped superscooter is a slothful step in the wrong
direction.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Christopher Orlet
Dec. 7, 2001 | Dean Kamen readily admits that his Segway Human Transporter,
unveiled Dec. 3, is not the futuristic answer to his nation's transportation
woes, crowded highways and poor public transit, nor will it replace the SUV,
the bus or the commuter train. The push-lawnmower-size scooter travels only
12.5 miles per hour with a 17-mile range between charges. It will have no
impact on air quality nor will it reduce the reliance on fossil fuels.
...



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