Sunday, February 25, 2007
A summary of Innovative Mobility's Blogs
This site http://www.segwayforontario.blogspot.com/ "Segway for Ontario (an antithesis)" is the original document posted by Innovative Mobility, the student research group dedicated to studying new yet responsible solutions to today's transit problems. The first posting of our eclectic student group goes back to 2001. The original Innovative Mobility group participants are now widely dispersed pursing their chosen vocations while still maintaining an interest in the group's original precepts. Professor Alexander Kgemc now resides in sunny Naples, FL. Any new web site posting are being prepared either by myself, Bill Brunton, Cynthia Booker or Angela Bertoni. The only conference remaining on our itinerary is the 11th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons - TRANSED 2007, Montréal, Québec, Canada, June 18 - 21, 2007 .You can see what we have been up to by simply Googling our names. If you need to contact me for any particular reason please e-mail me at billbrunton@bikerider.com , while this is not my primary address, this is the address I used as a student and it appears on all my correspondence as Communications Integrator for Innovative Mobility.
Any one who is familiar with our web sites knows that their intended purpose was information dissemination re "studying new yet responsible solutions to today's transit problems". As a group we we adamant that EPAMD's like the Segway going up to 12.5 mph should not be mixed with either pedestrians or vehicles approved for use on roadways. For each position paper that we prepared for Municipal Councils, Works Committees or Provincial and Federal Ministry's, they were published in their entirety on individual blog sites. To date their are 5 sites in total:
1.) http://www.segwayforontario.blogspot.com/ "Segway for Ontario (an antithesis)" the original
2.) http://www.segwaycaveats.blogspot.com/ "Segway Caveats for Municipal Council Consideration". Document entitled “Segway - A Pedestrian Friend or Foe in the Urban Environment?” was specifically prepared for the benefit of the Toronto Works Committee members and the Toronto City solicitor in their evaluation as to whether to approve the operation of Segways on Toronto’s sidewalks at their January 12, 2006 meeting. It was published because it had have relevance to all levels of government globally, in particular Municipal Councils when considering recognizing Segways for use on the sidewalks or other public pedestrian infrastructure.
3.) http://www.segwaydisabled.blogspot.com/ " Segways are not Disability Devices" Document entitled “Electric Personal Assistance Mobility Devices” (EPAMD) i.e. Segways –Considerations before recognition as a disability device in Ontario", was prepared specifically for the Ontario Ministry of Transport. It was published because it had have relevance to all levels of government globally when considering recognizing Segways as Electric Personal Assistance Mobility Devices [EPAMD’s], by classifying the EPAMD driver as a pedestrian just like a wheelchair user. Segways are not "medical devices”; we are justifiably concerned about bad precedent legislation that would anomalously define a Segway as a pedestrian.
4.) http://www.segwaypilotproject.blogspot.com/ "Pilot Project For Segway In Ontario Is A Mistake" Is a copy of a letter of October 29, 2006 sent to the the Honourable Donna Cansfield, Minister of Transportation requesting a review of the 5-year pilot test program for Segways in Ontario. Innovative Mobility believes that it is a mistake to allow people of disability"14 years old or older to operate a Segway if his or her mobility is limited by one or more disabilities, conditions or functional impairments". Without the benefit of:
o No driver's licence required
o No driver’s test required
o No written test required
o No vehicle registration
o No plate required o No requirement for insurance.
o No helmet required over the age of 18
o No qualification of disability
o No specification for the “bell” requirementso No specification for the front and rear “light” requirements other than the rear light may be attached to the person
5.) http://www.segwayillegalinontario.blogspot.com/ "Segway Riders Face Stiff Fines In Ontario". Is a reply copy of letter received from the Honourable Donna Cansfield, Minister of Transportation, Province of Ontario that clarifies the 5 Year Pilot Project for Segways, Ontario regulation 488/06 made under The Highway Traffic Act August 24, 2006. This document will clarify any misrepresentations that Ontario has opened the doors to Segway with few exceptions:
A. Pilot participants limited to:
- "a police officer may, in the course of his or her duties,- a letter carrier who is an employee of Canada Post Corporation may, while engaged in door
-to-door delivery of mail,
- a person who is 14 years old or older may operate a Segway if his or her mobility is limited by one or more disabilities, conditions or functional impairments."
B. Even pilot participants are not allowed to operate their Segway on sidewalks where municipal by-laws prohibit the operation of motor vehicles Sc8(2). Each municipality is still in control of their sidewalks and other public pedestrian infrastructure unless they pass specific by-laws permitting pilot participants to operate their Segways on sidewalks.
C. Anyone caught riding a Segway in Ontario who is not included as a pilot participant will be subject to higher fines ranging from $250 to a maximum of $2,500.
Any one who is familiar with our web sites knows that their intended purpose was information dissemination re "studying new yet responsible solutions to today's transit problems". As a group we we adamant that EPAMD's like the Segway going up to 12.5 mph should not be mixed with either pedestrians or vehicles approved for use on roadways. For each position paper that we prepared for Municipal Councils, Works Committees or Provincial and Federal Ministry's, they were published in their entirety on individual blog sites. To date their are 5 sites in total:
1.) http://www.segwayforontario.blogspot.com/ "Segway for Ontario (an antithesis)" the original
2.) http://www.segwaycaveats.blogspot.com/ "Segway Caveats for Municipal Council Consideration". Document entitled “Segway - A Pedestrian Friend or Foe in the Urban Environment?” was specifically prepared for the benefit of the Toronto Works Committee members and the Toronto City solicitor in their evaluation as to whether to approve the operation of Segways on Toronto’s sidewalks at their January 12, 2006 meeting. It was published because it had have relevance to all levels of government globally, in particular Municipal Councils when considering recognizing Segways for use on the sidewalks or other public pedestrian infrastructure.
3.) http://www.segwaydisabled.blogspot.com/ " Segways are not Disability Devices" Document entitled “Electric Personal Assistance Mobility Devices” (EPAMD) i.e. Segways –Considerations before recognition as a disability device in Ontario", was prepared specifically for the Ontario Ministry of Transport. It was published because it had have relevance to all levels of government globally when considering recognizing Segways as Electric Personal Assistance Mobility Devices [EPAMD’s], by classifying the EPAMD driver as a pedestrian just like a wheelchair user. Segways are not "medical devices”; we are justifiably concerned about bad precedent legislation that would anomalously define a Segway as a pedestrian.
4.) http://www.segwaypilotproject.blogspot.com/ "Pilot Project For Segway In Ontario Is A Mistake" Is a copy of a letter of October 29, 2006 sent to the the Honourable Donna Cansfield, Minister of Transportation requesting a review of the 5-year pilot test program for Segways in Ontario. Innovative Mobility believes that it is a mistake to allow people of disability"14 years old or older to operate a Segway if his or her mobility is limited by one or more disabilities, conditions or functional impairments". Without the benefit of:
o No driver's licence required
o No driver’s test required
o No written test required
o No vehicle registration
o No plate required o No requirement for insurance.
o No helmet required over the age of 18
o No qualification of disability
o No specification for the “bell” requirementso No specification for the front and rear “light” requirements other than the rear light may be attached to the person
5.) http://www.segwayillegalinontario.blogspot.com/ "Segway Riders Face Stiff Fines In Ontario". Is a reply copy of letter received from the Honourable Donna Cansfield, Minister of Transportation, Province of Ontario that clarifies the 5 Year Pilot Project for Segways, Ontario regulation 488/06 made under The Highway Traffic Act August 24, 2006. This document will clarify any misrepresentations that Ontario has opened the doors to Segway with few exceptions:
A. Pilot participants limited to:
- "a police officer may, in the course of his or her duties,- a letter carrier who is an employee of Canada Post Corporation may, while engaged in door
-to-door delivery of mail,
- a person who is 14 years old or older may operate a Segway if his or her mobility is limited by one or more disabilities, conditions or functional impairments."
B. Even pilot participants are not allowed to operate their Segway on sidewalks where municipal by-laws prohibit the operation of motor vehicles Sc8(2). Each municipality is still in control of their sidewalks and other public pedestrian infrastructure unless they pass specific by-laws permitting pilot participants to operate their Segways on sidewalks.
C. Anyone caught riding a Segway in Ontario who is not included as a pilot participant will be subject to higher fines ranging from $250 to a maximum of $2,500.
While these documents were prepared specifically with an Ontario flavour they contain information that is for the most part generic and will have an application to any municipal council, regional or national government(s) at the global level.
# posted by Segway for Ontario @ 9:11 AM 
