Smith Takes Segway to the Sidewalks
WASHINGTON, March 20–The Segway vehicle received a helping hand from U.S. Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., yesterday when he introduced legislation that would allow the Segway and other motorized devices to be used on federally funded walkways and paths.
Several states, including New Hampshire, have already passed legislation allowing the Segway onto local and state-funded sidewalks. In February, Governor Jeanne Shaheen signed into law an act allowing such devices, referred to as “electric personal assistive mobility devices” to be used on sidewalks and public ways, and also created a task force to study how it would impact pedestrians.
Smith’s bill would only give states the authority to lift prohibition of the Segway from federally funded sidewalks, but does not seek to affect state or local ordinances.
Smith is a ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over transportation legislation.
Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, has spent months lobbying members of Congress and federal transportation officials to treat the vehicle like a motorized wheelchair and allow it onto public sidewalks. Smith expects to continue working closely with Kamen while seeking support from fellow members.
Currently, both the Manchester Police Department and the United States Postal Service use the Segway in their daily line of work. Smith suggested it can also be used as a recreational vehicle, and emphasized the battery-powered vehicle’s energy efficiency and minimal environmental impact.
In a statement supporting Smith’s bill, Kamen stated yesterday that “the Segway [Human Transporter] is both safe and has the potential to become an important alternative transportation solution that could help solve many of the pressing problems facing urban transportation around the world.”
“What this does is remove a potential conflict that might exist between state law and federal law, as regards to Segway,” said Brian C. Toohey, vice president of international and regulatory affairs for Segway LLC, the company founded by Kamen to design and market the Segway vehicle, which is manufactured in Bedford.
New Hampshire traffic officials have expressed support for the Segway, saying it could reduce traffic congestion and pollution.
“Down the road there probably will be issues that need to be addressed, but at the moment we are supportive of any and all efforts to increase people’s mobility and make the Segway a viable transportation alternative,” said Bill Boynton, a spokesman for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.
Though Smith has not personally taken the Segway on a test run, Kamen demonstrated the vehicle for him in Manchester and Concord, and Smith said he expects the vehicle will “broaden the horizons of people’s personal mobility.”
The Senate committee’s press secretary, Genevieve Erny, said that at least three-quarters of sidewalks are locally funded, with the rest receiving funding from either the state or federal government.
“A number of states have pending legislation regarding the Segway, and this gives them power to use federally funded sidewalks,” Erny said.
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire
