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Segways Roll Over Chicago
lpangelrob2 writes "It looks like someone in Chicago finally found a use for Dean Kamen's Segways. The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that a three hour tour of Chicago's lakefront will be guided by Segways traveling on Chicago's sidewalks at 5mph. The cost of the tour is $65, and an instructional class and helmet is provided -- just in case."
It was a few months ago we had a news story down here about a company giving Segway tours of Sarasota, with full support of City Hall.
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DC does have these. I've seen it reported on TechTV, FOX News and CNN. A number of other cities have these two. I've probably heard half a dozen just on television reports alone.
Kind of not news at all anymore. *shrug*
Finally, I can promote my business and not be off topic...
We have been renting the Segway HT for 6 months now in the La Jolla / San Diego area... We also provide training and a helmet to all riders and to date have not had a single incident.
It is interesting though the reaction we get from the disabled community. While the majority of people who encounter the units see them as a marvel, the Disabled community is split in their view of the units.
Those with minor to severe mobility issues LOVE the units. They see them as a viable alternative to a wheelchair and a way to increase their mobility.
However, those who are confined to a chair, and those who are blind and deaf are strongly opposed to the units being on the sidewalks.
They are afraid that they will be hit by the units and see them as a danger, even though NOONE, in this area at least, has been hit by the units.
To further increase their safety, we also limit the units to 6 miles per hour.
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For a while now, you have been able to get a Segway tour of Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park. They weren't available the last time the family went to WDW, but next time we're going to give this a try.
I won't argue about your access point. Segways can get around in a lot more areas than driving a van.
As to cost, however, I think you are off. Segways are about $4,000 each, so the total cost is $40,000. That's a third more than a new Ford ten-passengar van (brand new E350 XLT with 15-passenger seating- $29,685 according to For's website). I'd have to imagine the liability insurance and upkeep for ten Segway rentals is higher than a single van.
Maybe the police forgot to use a Bicycle, or even a Motorcycle
Chicago Police have a LOT of options for transportation:
1. Cars (of course)
2. 3 wheeled one seater
3. 4 Wheel ATV with cargo frame
4. Horses
5. Segways
The trick is that Segways are really the only one you can safely take through a crowd. All of the others require a few feet of clearance so that you don't hurt anyone. Imagine how it would look if the police lost the suspect AND injured or killed a pedestrian!
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consider the cost of ownership of a ten passenger van versus the cost of ten segways. The segways win compared to the cost of a new van.
What?
Segway Human Transporter (HT) I Series
Price: $4,495.00
X 10: $44,950.00
2004 Chevrolet Express 2500 15 Passenger Van
MSRP: $26,175.00
According to This site, an estimated cost per mile for the segway is 18 cents per mile, with battery purchases included. Multiply that by 10 people, and you have a cost of $1.80 per mile.
According to Edmunds.com, the cost per mile on the Chevrolet van is $0.66 per mile.
I wont argue with the fact that segways have better access, but it's just not true that they are cheaper in any way, whatsoever.
Please read the URL's I referenced. Edmunds.com's "COST PER MILE" estimate takes gas prices into account. Even if they didn't, at 15 mpg, the van would cost an extra 13 cents per mile to operate. That bumps it up to $0.80 cents per mile- still less than half as much.
I would not characterize it as "a lot". I ride my bicycle on city streets and the lakefront daily, and though I see bicycle cops all the time I have yet to see a Segway.
I guess I'm a little late to this conversation, but just wanted to mention that I've seen these tours already happening. I was downtown, at Columbus and Monroe, on May 15th and saw a group of people on Segways wearing helmets. I overheard one of them telling the group what route they were going to take to complete their tour.
It'll be interesting to see how this affects pedestrian traffic downtown. Shouldn't be too bad as long as they stay close to the lakes and parks; I can't imagine how they'd get around in the Loop without creating huge pedstrian traffic delays.
I've also seen some cops using them. Gives me an ominous feeling when I see that and recall Steve Jobs's comment: "people will build cities around this thing."
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