05 Desk Item - Use of Segways on LG Creek Trailq0~ NSF
~QS'GAt~s
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DECEMBER 4, 2006
MEETING DATE: 12/04/06
ITEM NO: 5
DESK ITEM
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
DEBRA J. FIGONE, TOWN MANAG
DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION ON THE USE OF SEGWAYS ON THE LOS
GATOS CREEK TRAIL IN LOS GATOS
DISSCUSSION:
Attached are additional correspondences regarding the use of Segways on the Los Gatos Creek
Trail in Los Gatos.
PREPARED BY
s
JOHN E. CURTIS
Director of Parks and Public Works
ti R Ei('OLNCll_ RFPOR I S\sea~Navs. Deskltems.doe
Reviewed by: ";Assistant Town Manager "t"own Attorney
Clerk Administrator Finance Community Development
Patsy Garcia - South Bay Segway Page 1
From: Leonard Pacheco <leopac@accesscom.com>
To: <jpirzynski@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/1/2006 10:09:55 AM
Subject: South Bay Segway
Honorable Town Council,
We urge you to deny South Bay Segway the use of the Los Gatos section
of the Creek Trail for its proposed tours.
As frequent cyclists on the trail, we are acutely aware of its
enormous popularity with walkers, joggers, cyclists,
people with baby strollers and people with dogs on leashes and many
others who seek exercise and
the enjoyment of nature.
There are many places along the trail where one must use extreme
caution when passing or being overtaken.
It takes little imagination to see what would happen when trying to
pass or being passed by a line of 15 Segway
vehicles traveling at any speed. We find it unacceptable to introduce
this kind of hazard.
We know you are concerned not only with the safety of all trail
users, but also with setting a precedent for
"motorized" tours on the trail.
We will not be able to attend Monday night's meeting to make further
comment. However, we ask that you
"just say no" to Segway.
Yours sincerely,
Leonard Pacheco
Diane Roberts
CC: <bspector@losgatosca.gov>, <sglickman@losgatosca.gov>,
<dmcnutt@losgatosca.gov>, <mwasserman@losgatosca.gov>
9
Page 1 of 1
Patsv Garcia - JUST SAY NO TO SEAGWAYS ON THE TRAIL
From: "dm4tech(u sbcglobal.net" <dm4tech(ci,sbcglobal.net>
To: <ipirzynski@losgatosca.gov>, <bspector 3L Iosgatosca.gov>, <sglickman(cL losgatosca.gov>,
<dmcnutt@losgatosea. gov>, <mwasserman,cAlosgatosea. gov>
Date: 12/1/2006 9:40:15 AM
Subject: JUST SAY NO TO SEAGWAYS ON THE TRAIL
Dear council member,
I kno,,v you will soon vote on allowing Segways on the Los Gatos portion of the trail, just say NO.
As Campbell wisely decided adding Segways to a trail that has bicyclists,walkers,dogs on leashes and mothers
with baby strollers is not
a good idea. I am totally against this, if you do vote for it better make sure the town has no liability or good
insurance because sooner
or later there will be an accident.
Dennis McCarney
116 Montclair Rd.
Los Gatos. Ca 95032
file: //C:ADocuments and Settings\pgarcia\Local Sett1ngs\Temp\GWW0002.HTM 12/1/2006
amy tan <amytanoffice@yahoo.com> 12/01/06 3:30 PM
Hi Deb, a.k.a., Honorable Madame Town Manager,
This is your cousin Amy Tan with sidekick Lou.
I learned recently that the Los Gatos Town Council will hold a meeting this Monday, the 4th,
and one of the agenda items concerns the use of Segways on trails in Los Gatos.
I wish that I could come to your meeting (I am doing a performance that night in San Francisco).
I would have liked to give not only a short presentation onSegways to address misunderstandings
and fears, but to also demonstrate using a Segway and then allow council members to try it
themselves. Given that I am not able to be at your meeting, I am providing some information
that I feel is important in assessing the Segway case.
I'm sure you know that Los Gatos is not the first town or city to express concern over Segways.
Usually, city officials do not hear the good and even beneficial side of Segway use; they hear
only from those who want to abolish them. The opponents are quite vocal, and often include
senior citizens and those with disabilities. They speak mostly from fear of the unknown.
Segway proponents may not be aware of these agenda items at council and supervisor meetings.
And thus decisions have been to ban Segways without getting a full picture. This is unfortunate,
because it also perpetuates an negative image of Segways that is far different from its reality.
I think the fears certain people have concern issues such as these:
1) They are big, clumsy and dangerous.
2) They won't be able to stop in time.
3) They go too fast.
4) They take up too much room on the trail.
5) They are noisy and pollluting.
6) They are a toy for lazy rich people.
I first thought about getting Segway when I saw a 50ish woman "dancing" at an event with
others on the dance floor. She looked graceful and was certainly having fun. She was doing this,
mind you, on dance floor with a lot of people around her. I did not realize until she got off the
Segway that she was severely disabled due to a hit-and- run a few years before. She could walk
slowly and jerkily with a cane. But on the Segway she was an equal to all, proud, mobile, and
free. I was impressed because I had been looking into the possibility of getting a scooter-type
wheelchair. I have had a neurological disease, Lyme disease, since 1999 and because it was
untreated,the progressive effects of the disease made it difficult for me to walk due to pain in my
feet and joints. I was also exhausted from the effort of walking even a block; walking up those
San Francisco hills was hell. But I resisted a wheelchair; it seemed stigmatizing. I had used
them on occasion and hated the sympathetic looks, the way people talked to me in slow, simple
sentences. Also, because I had also been diagnosed with seizures, also caused by the same
disease, I was not allowed to drive until I proved that under medication I had been free of certain
kinds of seizures for a year. Now here was a possible solution for getting around: a Segway.
have tires aligned straight ahead. They can be splayed to the side, and when turning, they cut a
swath, and thus their "width" is not what people might intially assume. I think the council
members might be surprised at the results of the US-DOT's study.
The chapter of interest can be found online at -
http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/04103/07.htmgseg
The second link is the US Department of Transportation information on Segways used as
assistive mobility devices. That's basically chapter and verse of what you probably already
know.
http•//ww-w.fta.dot.gov/civilriyhts/ada/civil rights 3893.htm1
I've also attached an easy-to-view presentation on Segways and common questions asked about
safety.
One other point I would like to make. Segway tours. I went on a tour when I first thought of
getting a Segway. The people doing the tours were great at training riders, emphasizing safety,
and knowing what to do in an emergency. Those who saw us on Segways were often interested
in getting one. And I think that's great in our growing consciousness and conscientiousness
about moving toward a greener way of living. Segway tours allow people to try them and realize
they are stable, easy to learn, useful, and yes, fun. Not all Segwayers in a group are part of a
commercial tour. Like bike riders and joggers, we like to glide socially. Banning "tours" would
mean groups of any kind would be shunned.
I hope that you and the council members will one day have an opportunity to try gliding on a
Segway and see why Segways are a good thing for Los Gatos.
If you need to reach us, here are the pertinents:
Amy Tan/ Lou DeMattei
Business/Public address:
3450 Sacramento St 4617
San Francisco CA 94118
Thanks for listening.
Hope you're doing swell.
Amy (Tan)
From the office of Amy Tan
San Francisco, California
Page 1 of 1
Patsy Garcia - Sedgeways on Los Gatos Creek Trail
From: <Hansdianel20@aol.com>
To: <manager@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/1/2006 10:50:45 AM
Subject: Sedgeways on Los Gatos Creek Trail
To the Mayor and the Members of the Los Gatos Town Council
Please do NOT allow Sedgeway Tours on the Los Gatos Creek Trail
My wife and I are frequent users of this trail and ask you to consider the following:
Sedgeways are MOTORIZED VEHICLES . You would encourage applications for other motorized uses of this trail.
Sedgeway tours are a COMMERCIAL USE and would encourage applications for other commercial use of the trail. e.g.
advertizing slogans painted on the pavement?
Sedgeways tours will encourage INDIVIDUAL USE or applications for individual useof Sedgeways on the trail.
A SPEED LIMIT may be effective in the case of tours but is meaningless because practically unenforcable and unrealistic
in the case of individual use as presently demonstrated by speeding bicycles. Effective enforcement would be very
expensive for the Town.
DANGER to PEDESTRIANS by Sedgeways operated by beginners or in thecase of a malfunction may be small but is
probably real. This is especially the case of my severe hearing loss: I may not be able to jump aside in time when I don't
hear the approaching Sedgeway rider behind me.
LIABILITY to the Town may be significant.
Therefore: PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW SEDGEWAY TOURS ON ANY TRAILS (OR SIDE WALKS) IN THE TOWN OF
LOS GATOS.
Thank you for your consideration, Hans and Diane Ernst, 120 Altura Vista, Los Gatos,95032 Tel and Fax (408) 379-9859.
file:;/C:ADocuments and Settings\pgarcia\Local Sett1ngs\Temp\GW}0000l.HTM 12/1/2006
Page 1 of 1
Patsy Garcia - segways
From: "L A WEISSHAHN" <pokey68@verizon.net>
To: <manager@Iosgatosca.gov>
Date: 11/29/2006 3:13:34 PM
Subject: segways
I am writing in response to the possibility of the town allowing Segway tours on the Los Gatos Creek Trail. I have biked
on this trail 5 days a week for 16 yrs. now and am very much against allowing Segways on the traill. The trail becomes
very congested with baby strollers, walkers, inline skaters, joggers and cyclists as it is. Many times there are congested
areas and frequent "near miss accidents". This trail is very congested on weekends- in addition to the regulars, many
families with small children use the trail. This is an excellent opportunity for family outings and I for one would be very
dissappointed to see young families not be able to use it because of the danger segways would cause. They (the
segways) are indeed a safety hazard to others on the trail.
I hope that that the Los Gatos Town Council has the wisdom that the City of Campbell exhibited in denying their use.
Jeanine Weisshahn
file://C:ADocuments and Settings\pgarcia\Local Settings\Temp\GW}00001.1-ITM 12/1/2006
Page I of I
Patsy Garcia - Segway Use on LGCT and the City of Los Gatos
From: Alex Ko <alexander_k@sbcglobal.net>
To: <jpirzynski@losgatosca.gov>, <bspector@losgatosca.gov>, <sglickman@losgatosca.gov>,
<dmcnutt@losgatosca.gov>, <mwasserman@losgatosca.gov>, <manager@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/3/2006 7:27:24 PM
Subject: Segway Use on LGCT and the City of Los Gatos
Mayor, Town Council Members, and Town Manager,
I implore you to seriously re-consider any regulations you plan to impose on Segway (Electric Personal
Assistive Mobility Device, EPAMD) use in your city with respect to personal "recreational use". Seaway tours
are not related to use by individual owners and I would propose that you treat them separately.
Regarding "recreational use", please understand how the machines are used by people in their daily lives as well
as by some of the disabled community covered under ADA guidance. There has been a study by the US
Department of Transportation with guidance regarding their safety and size relative to other means of
transportation. Also, the CA Department of Motor Vehicles has established that because Segways are such a
unique type of transportation they are not considered a "motorized vehicle."
I am a resident of Santa Clara and have commuted to work on my machine on the sidewalks for the past 3 years,
using no gas and not contributing to traffic. Please consider that your decisions here in Los Gatos affect all of
Silicon Valley. As you have considered regulating Segways based on the City of Campbell discussions, so may
other cities based on your decisions.
They are clean, quiet, maneuverable, and small (less footprint than a bicycle or double stroller). They cannot go
faster than a bicycle-- in fact they are designed to go slower than a person can run. These are facts, and there is
data to support this.
People are generally afraid of what they do not understand, and this is the case with Segways. Many anti-
Seaway sentiments sentiments are based on emotional responses and not based on facts.
I would be more than happy to help with any of your staff to provide factual information regarding Segways.
But please do not ban "recreational" Segway use anywhere in your city based on an emotional reaction without
examining the full impact to your current and future community.
Regards,
Alexander Ko
Bay Area Segway Enthusiasts Group
file://C:ADocuments and Settings\pgarcia\Local Settings\Temp\G@OOOOI.HTM 12/4/2006
Patsy Garcia - Segways and the creek trail Page 1
From: Michael R Burke <mrburke@adobe.com>
To: <jpirzynski@losgatosca.gov>, <bspector@losgatosca.gov>,
<sglickman@losgatosca.gov>, <dmcnutt@losgatosca.gov>, <mwasserman@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/1/2006 5:52:53 PM
Subject: Segways and the creek trail
Mr. Mayor and Council members,
As someone who rides on the trail almost everyday, I want to address some concerns that I have about
the use of the Los Gatos creek trail by Segways. I would like to start with a few numbers, When you travel
6 miles an hour you cover 9 feet in one second. If the Segway riders allow only one second spacing
between each other then a group of fifteen plus two guides will be a parade over 150 feet long. Put this in
the context of our narrow trail with poor sight lines and I think you have a recipe for disaster.
I don't think one or two Segways being driven by experienced riders on our trail would cause a problem.
But rentals and tours of any types or sizes do not belong on that trail. Think of the physics of a Segway.
They weigh about 70 pounds and have a very low center of gravity. If a bicycle hits one, no matter who is
at fault, it will be like hitting a bag of cement. The bike rider will be the loser in that crash. When two bike
hit each other the energy is dissipated by rims bending and the bikes falling over. When a bike and
Segway hit it will be the bike and rider is dissipate all the energy.
Please vote to prevent our trail from being used for these tours, but if there is a way to allow the use of the
trail by experiences individual Segway riders, I would ask that you do that as well.
Michael Burke
217 University Ave
Los Gatos, CA 95030
CC: <manager@losgatosca.gov>
Patsy Garcia - regarding Segways Page 1
From: Steve Wozniak <steve@woz.org>
To: <manager@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/1/2006 9:47:39 PM
Subject: regarding Segways
I have 3 Segway lives.
1, from home to town, to shop, dine, or see a movie
2. in my car - to quickly and easily explore places, even other cities, for enjoyment, and so as not to hassle
as much when parking is difficult. For example, today I had a photo session at The Tech and due to
Christmas things, parking was ridiculous there. I parked a few blocks away and Segway'd in.
I had a disc injury over a year ago that seriously impaired my ability to walk far. The Segway opens up
aspects of the community for me.
3. polo
The Segway is another form of transportation, along with walking, biking, skateboarding, scooters, etc.
Those of us who use the Segway a lot know its advantages and disadvantages for various activities when
compared with the other modes. The closest thing I could compare a Segway to is walking. You use your
body energy a bit, you travel slowly enough to stop and talk at any instant, you can go about anywhere on
a Segway that you can when walking, the size of a Segway with a rider is about that of a person alone.
People who ride Segways tend to be older, more responsible people, than those who ride scooters and
skateboards and the like. We Segway gliders are basically not high-sport impolite speeders. We are very
polite and try to be good ambassadors of the Segway. We are respectful of pedestrians and bicycle riders
too. I myself do not zoom past pedestrians. I will go for blocks sometimes right behind them, even though
I'm capable of much faster speed. If they notice me they often move over and let me pass but the Segway
is so quiet that they often don't even notice me.
My main point is that many of us Segway gliders make very efficient use of resources in our community. A
Segway is a lot less 'in the way' than cars are. They don't cause traffic backups or full parking lots at meal
times. These are very good things for Los Gatos.
Selective bans where the Segway use is not permitted let down those of us who bring this alternative
vehicle into our lives.
tv is wake zone
CC: Alex Ko <alexander_ko71@yahoo.com>, Amy Tan <Bubbazo@gmail.com>
Page 1 of 1
Patsy Garcia
From: "Michael R. Dupray" <mrdupray@comcast.net>
To: <manager@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/1/2006 10:26:37 PM
CC: "'Amy Tan"' <Bubbazo@gmail.com>
Good Evening,
Please find attached some helpful information regarding Segways and their use as well as physical and safety features
Also some ASHTO information below:
http,//www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/04104/
file://C:ADocuments and Settings\pgarcia\Local Settings\Temp\GW}OOOO1.HTM 12/4/2006
• Stops quickly
■ Within 8 ft
• Top speed of 12 mph
■ Can move at <1 inch per sec. Speed is variable
• Compare to walking and running on sidewalk
• You don't sprint on a crowded sidewalk
■ Frontal impact with pedestrian is less than a bike or runner
• This is due to the physics and design of the machine which
transfers impact energy to the motors and forces the machine
into an instant reverse.
• Rolling over feet is not a hazard.
• This is because the weight is transferred to the opposite while
due to tilt.
• Cannot over speed or coast out of control
• Greater visibility
• More agile
■ Crowd friendly
• Can turn on its center
• Cost of transport lower than bike or walking
• Environmentally friendly
• Reduces gas consumption
• Better air quality
• Low cost of maintenance
■ Less than' a bicycle
• Endorsed by DRAFT
• Used by disabled persons
• Used for commuting
• Many senior citizens own and rent them
•
• T3 to 4 in2 contact surface area per wheel.
• Tires do not spin easily as a bike or an equivalent effect from foot traffic.
SECTION 902. OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES; OFF-ROAD VEHICLES.
902.1 General. No motor vehicle as defined in section 902.2 may be operated
within District Parklands except on established paved roads which are open to
the public.
902.2 Definition. A motor vehicle is any vehicle or device that is self propelled by
means of an internal combustion engine or electric motor, used to transport a
person or property. Motor vehicles include, but are not limited to passenger cars,
motorcycles, off-road vehicles, "dirt-bikes," all-terrain vehicles, motorized
skateboards, "Go-peds," and similar vehicles.
902.3 Exceptions.
a) This section shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles.
b) This section shall not apply to areas, roads, trails, or paths which may from
time to time be set aside or posted by the Board for the use of specifically
designated vehicles.
c) This section shall not prohibit the use of gasoline or electrically driven golf
carts upon golf courses within the District parklands.
d) This section shall not apply to electric powered wheel chairs or electric
powered bicycles, while being operated by a person with a medical condition
which impairs normal mobility.
Ca. Veh. Code
467. (a) A "pedestrian" is any person who is afoot or
who is using any of the following:
(1) A means of conveyance propelled by human power
other than a bicycle.
(2) An electric personal assistive mobility device.
(b) "Pedestrian" includes any person who is
operating a self-propelled wheelchair, motorized
tricycle, or motorized quadricycle and, by reason of
physical disability, is otherwise unable to move about
as a pedestrian, as specified in subdivision
(a).
(c) This section shall remain in effect only until
January 1, 2008, and as of that date is repealed,
unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before
January 1, 2008, deletes or extends that date.
You are correct. They are considered "pedestrian" and that is how we would
define them on the bike trail. As with other pedestrian traffic, they should use the
shoulder area as much as possible.
Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Device
313 (a) The term "electric personal assistive mobility device" or "EPAMD" means a self-
balancing, nontandem two-wheeled device, that can turn in place, designed to transport
only one person, with an electric propulsion system averaging less than 750 watts (1
horsepower), the maximum speed of which, when powered solely by a propulsion system
on a paved level surface, is less than 12.5 miles per hour.
(b) This section shall become operative on March 1, 2003, and remain in effect only until
January 1, 2008, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is
enacted before January 1, 2008, deletes or extends that date.
Added Sec. 1, Ch. 979, Stats. 2002. Effective January 1, 2003. Operative March 1, 2003.
NOTE: The preceding section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2008, and as of
that date is repealed.
21281 Every electric personal assistive mobility device, or EPAMD, shall be equipped
with the following safety mechanisms:
(a) Front, rear, and side reflectors.
(b) A system that enables the operator to bring the device to a controlled stop.
(c) If the EPAMD is operated between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour
before sunrise, a lamp emitting a white light that, while the EPAMD is in motion,
illuminates the area in front of the operator and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in
front of the EPAMD.
(d) A sound emitting device that can be activated from time to time by the operator, as
appropriate, to alert nearby persons.
Added and repealed Sec. 6, Ch. 979, Stats. 2002. Effective March 1, 2003. Repeal
operative January 1, 2008.
NOTE: The preceding section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2008, and as of
that date is repealed
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4
Los Gatos Town Council
110 E. Main Street
Los Gatos, California 95030
November 30, 2006
Dear Council Members,
DEC 2006
Vow
It is my understanding that the Los Gatos Park's Commission has approved the use of the Los Gatos trail
for use by Segway riders. As a retired member of the community and frequent user of the trail, I am
writing to express my strong dissent of this approval. These types of movement machines are the types of
vehicles that would be a danger to all other users of the trail. Think of the small children, older citizens,
people in wheelchairs and handicapped citizens who use the trail. How are they to maneuver around such
vehicles? The trail, which is paid for by taxpayers, should not be used to enrich a small few in a business
venture that would be a detriment to all other users.
I hope the Los Gatos Town Council will follow the excellent decision by the Campbell City Council and
unanimously deny Segway the right to use the Los Gatos trail. Segway is a business and seeks to use the
trail to make money. Such a use would make the trail unsafe for its many other users. The Community
should be free to use the trail without fear of an increased opportunity for unnecessary injury.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Josoh Thibodeaux
~15300 Winchester Boulevard Unit I I
Los Gatos, California
9
Patsy Garcia - Re: Fwd: South Bay Segway Page 1
From: <muriel.appelbaum@att.net>
To: <jpirzynski@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/4/2006 11:04:06 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: South Bay Segway
Subject: South Bay Segway Request for "Tour" Access to the Creek Trail
Honorable Town Council,
I urge you to reject South Bay Segway's request to use the Los Gatos
section of the Creek Trail.
As a hiker, I look forward to my trips on the Trail for their views, restfulness and quiet, and relaxation
afterward. Introducing the bulky segway to the trails, especially in groups, cannot help being obtrusive.
In addition to their obtrusive effects, these motorized vehicles will increase the potential for accidents with
animals, children, and adults, especially when the trails are crowded.
If South Bay Segway gets such commercial access, so should every other company with similar ideas,
changing the nature of park trail use severely, even as suggested by calling such access "tours."
Motorized vehicles of any kind should be limited severely. Perhaps the Council should consider building a
new and safe road for motorized vehicles of all kinds adjacent to University Avenue instead.
Please deny the request.
Muriel Appelbaum
15340 Blackberry Hill Road
Los Gatos, CA 95030
CC: <bspector@losgatosca.gov>, <sglickman@losgatosca.gov>,
<dmcnutt@losgatosca.gov>, <mwasserman@losgatosca.gov>
Patsy Garcia - A Comment on Segway Use on Trails Page 1
From: Meng Weng Wong <mengwong@pobox.com>
To: <manager@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/4/2006 4:12:28 PM
Subject: A Comment on Segway Use on Trails
I understand that Los Gatos is considering taking a position on the
appropriateness of allowing Segways on mixed-use trails. Please
accept these comments for the public record. While I am a resident
of Campbell, I shop and spend in Los Gatos, and I use the Los Gatos
portion of the Creek Trail on a regular basis. Please note that I am
not commenting on guided tours; I am commenting on personal commuter
or recreational use.
As a society, we balance the death toll from automobile accidents
(approximately 40,000 per year in the US) against the benefits of the
commuter lifestyle. While I am sure some people feel that cars are
terrible things, we do not ban them from our roads. I would like to
see Segways given a similar degree of consideration.
In the interests of fairness, I would like to see an apples-to-apples
comparison of Segways to the following alternatives:
1. regular bicycles
2. recumbent bicycles
3. in-like skates
4. jogging or running
5. walking
Since this discussion centers on safety, I would like to see a
comparison based on the following factors:
A. number of accidents involving minor injury of another person
B. number of accidents involving major injury or death of another person
C. total number of "close shave", "confrontation", or "uncomfortable
incident" complaints reported by the community
D. number of actual lawsuits involving the City arising from accidents
E. the ratio of observed speed limit violations versus nonviolations
F. stopping distance
Without an analysis of the above factors, I feel strongly that any
decision to allow or ban Segways would be premature.
A, B, C, and D could be expressed as the total number of incidents
divided by total number of estimated users, over a given year. I
expect this information already exists.
E could be observed by stationing a ranger on the trail for a few
hours with a radar gun to determine how many users exceed or obey the
speed limit. The goal here is to determine the "violation ratio" of
a given usage: we might find, for instance, that out of 100 runners,
only 2 of them exceed the limit; but out of 100 bicycles, perhaps 20
exceed the limit. That would give us a point of reference; if more
Segway riders exceed the speed limit than, say, bicyclists, then that
would be significant and reasonable grounds for a ban.
Numbers for F can be found at
Patsy Garcia - A Comment on Segway Use on Trails
http-//www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/04103/07.htm
http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/04104/
I would like to think that if Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he
would campaign in favor of the Segway, and not against it. Banning
something merely because it might be harmful, before its danger has
been demonstrated, is, frankly, un-American. I hope that Los Gatos,
as one of the most affluent and desirable communities in the Bay
Area, will set a good example to other cities.
If, based on the above analysis, Segways turn out to be no more
dangerous than other modes of transport, I believe it would be fair
to continue permit Segway use on trails and in the city. I hope that
the spirit of "innocent until proven guilty" will prevail.
cheers
Meng Weng Wong
Campbell, CA
P.S. I hope that any arguments of the form "on the trail, there are
already too many bicycles going too fast, so we should ban Segways"
will be considered solely on their merits.:)
CC: Meng Weng Wong <mengwong@pobox.com>
Page 2
Concerned about South Bay Segway on LG Creek Trail
Debra Figone - Concerned about South Bay Segway on LG Creek Trail
From: Marianne Lucchesi Hamilton <lucchesicomm@earthlink.net>
To: <jpirzynski@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 12/14/2006 9:30:06 AM
Subject: Concerned about South Bay Segway on LG Creek Trail
CC: "Hamilton, Douglas" <DougIl@bamco.com>
Hi .Joe:
Page 1 of 2
I attempted to send this to you and the rest of Council, but was unable to do so after several tries. If you could forward this to your colleagues, I'd
truly appreciate it. Hope to see you this evening.
Best regards.
Marianne
Dear Mayor Pirzynski, Vice-Mayor Spector, and Town Council Members:
My husband will be having some out-patient surgery which will take up most of this afternoon. SO it could be that vve won't be able to attend the
Town Council meeting this evening. But since you will be considering a topic that is very near and dear to our hearts, we wanted to send this note in
the event that we cannot address you all in person.
Please allow me to remove my volunteer chapeau, and pull on any one of dozens of private-citizen baseball caps and t-shirts that say "Marine Corps.
Marathon," "Honolulu Marathon," "Big Sur Marathon," etc. There's a reason for this - Doug and I have drawers full of racing memories and
personal triumphs that would not have been possible without the dependable safety of the training that we (along with thousands of others) are able to
do on the Los Gatos Creek Trail each week.
In the I I years that I've lived in Los Gatos, my training for 7 marathons and countless other races has taken me onto the trail, often daily. To say that
I have logged thousands of hours out there would not be an exaggeration. In those 11 years, I have seen the trail's population increase dramatically.
It's now home to an active community of walkers, runners, cyclists, rollberbladers, mothers wlstrollers, senior citizens, and many others. On the
weekends this community expands by an order of magnitude - with literally hundreds of additional athletes from Team in Training, San Jose Fit, and
]'earn AS IA training fora number of races. Often, there is gridlock on the trail, as the various large groups attempt to share what is already a very
small space.
Those of us who are on foot. and who have spent some time on the trail, have learned how to maneuver around the obstacles that crop up -to be
nimble and make quick adjustments. Unfortunately, I've witnessed numerous accidents involving those who were unable to react quickly to cyclists
who ignored the speed limit, or rollerbladers vvho were unsure of how to stop, or even toddlers who darted across the trail without looking either way..
because they were intrigued by a dog, or a duck, or a bug. Near the many blind curves on the trail, it's especially dangerous to combine wheeled
conveyances with pedestrians.
Quite honestly. the idea that South Bay Se-way would add to the trail groups of people who are unfamiliar with the operation of their vehicles on
A IN given day is highly alarming... even more so on the weekends. The 22-inch footprint of the Segways would leave little room for other users of
the trail -which is 44 inches at its widest point in each direction, and in places shrinks to approximately 20 inches. Just as our Bay Area highway
infrastructure strains to support the ever-increasing population of our area- leading to gridlock - Doug and I believe that adding still more vehicles
to the LG Creek Trail would have the same effect.
Also. we're extremely puzzled as to why the Segways might be allowed on the trail in the first place. One morning recently, I took multiple pictures
(attached) of signs posted that clearly say "no motor vehicles." Yet, the State of Maryland's Department of the Environment describes the Segway as
a "two-wheeled motorized vehicle," and that "the vehicle, powered by hvo electric motors, has sensors that detect the driver's center of gravity," etc.
Why should these vehicles be the exception? The Segway website describes their products as a "battery-operated transportation platform." Sounds
very much like an automobile...
We were extremely relieved and gratified in October, when the Campbell City Council forbid the use of Segways on the Trail within Campbell city
Limits - and extended the notion to forbid Segways to be operated in any park in Campbell. Doug and I hope you will consider a similar rejection of
South Bay Segway's request to operate within Los Gatos town limits.
Please don't get me wrong we actually love Segways. They're a beautifully designed mode of transportation, and are ideal for the handicapped and
for law enforcement officers. But we believe they do not belong in groups (especially in groups of 15. as proposed by the Park Commission) in a
high-traffic area such as the LG Creek Trail. We respectfully request that before you approve their usage on the trail. you may wish to spend some
time out there with those of us who are regular users. You may well have a very different perspective if you see the implications of this initiative
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Concerned about South Bay Segway on LG Creek Trail
first-hand.
Many thanks in advance for your consideration on this matter.
Sincerely.
Marianne & Doug Hamilton
26 Oak Hill Way
Los Gatos. CA 95030
(408) 395-3492 office
(408) 489-0140 cell
(408) 395-7476 fax
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Marianne Lucchesi Ilamltton
(408) 395-3492 office
(408) 489-0140 cell
(408) 395-7476 fax
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