Dean Kamen's scooter

[Connie Clark]

--- Michael Eisenstadt <michaele@ando.pair.com> wrote:
 He has a contract
> with the Post Office for the Segway; we may
> soon see mailmen delivering the mail on these
> scooters.
>

Mike,
Hooray for this guy. I've been following the
development of electric, or personal electric vehicles
(p.e.v.) for a few years, as I believe that they hold
a lot of promise for alternatives to the auto for
short trips.  The grocery store is 2 blocks from my
house, and I'm embarassed to say that I drive there.

You can get a fine and dandy sit-down electric scooter
with a cute basket on the back (no gyroscope) for
about $400 at Sam's; the stand-up ones are about $200
at K-Mart.

The problem comes of course with the issue of where to
ride them.  I hope that the post office will get it
settled as to whether they are a walking alternative,
or car alternative.  In other words, on the sidewalk
or in the street.

Electric bicycles are legal in the street like other
bikes; and on bike trails.  The conflict between bikes
and peds is already a hot topic on our growing
inventory of bike trails.  Certainly there will be
conflict between the Segway users (or regular scooter
users) and peds on 4' sidewalks.  btw, wheel chair
advocates are already pushing a new federal standard
of 5'sidewalks (practically a done deal).  Maybe that
isn't even wide enough.

I'm enthusiastic about the emergence of pev
transportation, and glad to see Kamen get national
press coverage.

Another interesting transportation innovation is the
Taxi 2000, which should have some good specific
applications in downtowns.  They have a good,
informative web site.

Connie


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