Segway's debut rolls near amid concerns over safety.

Byline: Scott Maben The Register-Guard

Is there room, amid the walkers and runners and bicyclists and skaters, for the Segway?

It's not a pressing question in Lane County, where the self-balancing electric scooters have yet to appear. They've barely hit the West Coast a year and a half after Dean Kamen unveiled his much-hyped invention.

That may change soon. The manufacturer will start delivering the $5,000 devices next month to those who take the company's training class.

A few early birds in Portland and Seattle are using them, and by spring the occasional Segway Human Transporter could be spotted on a bike path near the Willamette River, scooting through downtown Eugene or zipping out to a suburban mall.

But as the gyroscope-balanced vehicle slowly becomes more common nationwide, states and cities are debating where exactly it belongs.

A bill introduced Monday in the Oregon Senate seeks to define the Segway in the state transportation code and permit it on sidewalks, bike paths and the sides of streets posted 25 mph or less. Thanks to aggressive lobbying by Segway, 33 states have passed similar laws.

Segway says its two-wheeled marvel, at 83 pounds and 2 feet wide, can cruise comfortably along bike paths or stroll casually down city sidewalks. It's safer among pedestrians than in the street with cars, trucks and buses, said Matt Dailida, director of government affairs for Segway LLC of Manchester, N.H.

"These were designed from Day One to be able to operate in a pedestrian environment," Dailida said. "There are no sharp corners, no substantial material is protruding from it. Just the technology alone really lends itself to the sidewalk."

The thought of an electric vehicle that can go as fast as 12.5 mph on the sidewalk is a tad troubling for Diane Bishop, the city of Eugene's bicycle and alternative modes coordinator.

"I'm very concerned about adding one more fast-moving object on the sidewalk," Bishop said. "We get so many comments from pedestrians that say we shouldn't allow bikes on sidewalks."

But Segway fans say the machines easily keep pace with window-shopping pedestrians and pose no threat.

"You can ride the same speed as anyone walks, even a half-mile an hour," said Portland developer Homer Williams, who has two Segways and no car. "They're very easy to use on the sidewalks. The problem is everyone wants to stop you and ride it."

Like many cities, Eugene prohibits motorized vehicles on sidewalks. That includes motor-assisted bicycles and scooters, and police say it probably would apply to the Segway, too.

But as with the bill in front of Oregon's Senate, many states allow cities to further restrict where the devices may travel. So far, San Francisco is the largest city to ban the Segway from sidewalks.

"I guess I'm not the only one who feels like places that are sort of sacred for walking and bicycling should remain so," said Jan VanderTuin, a bicycle builder and executive director of the Center for Appropriate Transport in Eugene. "But, hey, the world is changing."

Hoping it doesn't change too quickly, a Portland-based pedestrian advocacy group opposes the sidewalk provision in the bill from Sen. Kate Brown, D-Portland.

"We think the technology is pretty sexy," said Dan Polette, on the board of the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition. "We don't think necessarily the sidewalk is where they should be. ... Particularly the more vulnerable segment of those users - elderly folks and children - would certainly be of concern."

The volunteer-run group will ask lawmakers to let cities choose to permit the Segway on sidewalks only outside core pedestrian areas and at speeds not to exceed 5 mph, Polette said.

Segway promotes its product as the key to cleaner, quieter, less-congested cities. One of the Northwest's first Segway owners believes it could be true.

Phillip Torrone, product development director for a Seattle company, has logged 300 miles on his Segway commuting to and from work - an eight-mile round trip - for the past 11 weeks. He cut his daily commute nearly in half, sold one of his two cars and saves $600 a month in auto expenses.

"It's really performed flawlessly," Torrone said. "It's hard to explain unless you've been on one. It's kind of like a magic carpet." His route takes him on streets, alleys and sidewalks, including steep grades, rain or shine. Lots of folks have gawked, but no one has complained, Torrone said.

"They're definitely meant to be around people," he said.

But what about faster-moving traffic? Another concern is that a bicyclist caught behind the Segway in a bike lane may have to veer into the street to pass.

"I can see a bottleneck forming if they do get on the bike lanes off to the side of the road," said Dave Kendall, head mechanic at the Bike Barn in Eugene. "I could see some irate cyclists."

Darron Bubach, the store's assistant manager, said all motorized vehicles belong on the street. "I don't think they'll bother me out on the road," he said, "as long as there's not gangs of them out there."

Bishop, the city's bike coordinator, doubts that will be a problem. "My hope is it won't be a big issue because they're so expensive," she said.

SEGWAY BASICS

Price: $4,950

Sales: The company doesn't disclose, but advance sales made it one of the 200 best-selling items on Amazon.com

Technology: Powered by nickel metal hydride batteries, balanced by three gyroscopes and operated by 10 microprocessors, the Segway requires only 48 watt-hours of energy per mile, making it 700 times more efficient than an automobile

Top speed: 12.5 mph

Mileage: 11 to 17 miles per electrical charge

Shape and size: Often compared to an old-fashioned reel lawn mower, it takes up about as much space as a standing person and weighs 83 pounds

Payload: Can carry a 250-pound human plus 75 pounds of gear

On the Web: www.segway.com

Segway LLC

CAPTION(S):

The Segway may soon be here, but does it belong on city sidewalks?