Cautious approach taken on a new motorized device state permits on sidewalks.
By: Jennifer Potash
The Princeton Borough Council took a cautious approach Tuesday to a proposal to ban a new motorized personal transporter from borough sidewalks.
Mayor Marvin Reed wants the Segway Human Transporter to motor in the streets, not on the borough’s sidewalks.
The state Legislature approved by a near unanimous vote in December a bill exempting the transporters from local sidewalk ordinances.
One option is to amend the borough’s ordinances, which ban bicycles, skateboards, scooters, roller blades and roller skates on the sidewalks in the central business district, to include the Segway, Mayor Reed said at Tuesday’s council meeting.
The mayor said he intends to discuss the matter with the new state Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Fox.
Council members David Goldfarb and Roger Martindell suggested the council delay any action until the Segways appear in the borough.
At $3,000 a pop, Councilwoman Wendy Benchley said, it is doubtful the devices will be popular.
The Segway Human Transporters are intended to take up the same space as a pedestrian but allow people to move farther and faster. Segway LLC of New Hampshire claims the devices will make urban areas more livable by lessening the need for vehicular traffic for short trips.
Billed as a self-balancing, electric-powered personal transport device, the Segway uses gyroscopes, tilt sensors, electronics and a battery-powered motor to propel the operator. The transporters have a maximum speed of 10 to 12 miles an hour, depending on the model.