Thursday, April 28, 2005
Why Toronto Works Committee should not approve of Segways on public sidewalks and path ways!
Any approval of the Segway for use on the sidewalks of TO would alter the basic balance between human and machine in the city. The Segway presents clear potential risk to children, seniors, persons with disability and other legitimate sidewalk users with the sole benefit economically to some Segway.com corporation. Pedestrians are already a vulnerable and beleaguered group; it would be wrong and unsafe to make the legitimate sidewalk demographics share scarce sidewalk space with any motorized vehicle whether it is called an "Electronic Personal Assistive Mobility Devices", Human Transporter” or a Segway. Also, if the Segway is approved the floodgates will open for pocket crotch rockets, electric tricycles, electric go-cars etc. all under the catch phrase "Electronic Personal Assistive Mobility Devices". The evolution of Toronto is like most cities has been one of “accommodation to the auto by narrowing sidewalks to create more lanes for car and truck traffic and rounding corners to make it easier for cars to turn. Much of this has been at the expense of pedestrians”. Let us not forget Mrs. Jane Jacobs’s observation of Toronto streets “Toronto is alive. Its downtown streets are teeming with people. Multitudes of them actually live in the city center in apartment buildings and houses, and the sidewalks are jammed, in some places until late at night.” In other words a safe and aesthetic sidewalk space promotes neighborhood interaction --- it is up to the Works Committee and Toronto City Council to preserve Toronto’s identity. Any redefinition by the TO Works Committee of “pedestrian” for the benefit of a single company is outrageously inappropriate. It is incumbent that TO and every other city in Canada keep the sidewalks safe and not provide preferential sidewalk access to the wealthy for the sole economic benefit of some Segway.com corporation.
Pam Prescott
# posted by Segway for Ontario @ 10:52 AM 
