California Segway Bill

This open letter from Matt Dailida, who in one week will be a guest on SegCast, was posted today on Segway Chat.


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Dear Segway PT Owners of California,

As some of you have already read on SegwayChat and SegAmerica, a bill to renew the current EPAMD Law in California has been filed and is now ready for public viewing.

Assembly Bill 470 has been filed by Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord). The bill and its status can be viewed at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_470&sess=CUR&house=B&author=desaulnier. Assemblyman DeSaulnier is a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee and is well known throughout the California Legislature as a leading proponent of alternative transportation and Smart Growth.

The current EPAMD Law is set to expire on January 1, 2008. AB470 seeks to extend the current law indefinitely while making some minor adjustments to address changes in the Segway product line and comments gathered from constituents during the last 5 years. AB470 will continue to allow California communities to further regulate the use of EPAMDs as they deem necessary.

The more notable changes to the bill include:

1. Clarification that EPAMDs can be operated on public sidewalks, bike paths, trails and bike lanes (current law is vague on whether an EPAMD can be operated on bike paths and lanes).

2. Add additional safety language that instructs EPAMD operators to “yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians on foot, including persons with disabilities using assistive devices and service animals”.

3. Restrict the use of EPAMDs that have a footprint larger than 20x25 inches from operating on public sidewalks. This is targeted at Segway XT and Segway x2 which by manufacturer standards is not developed for sidewalk use.

At this time AB470 has been referred to the Assembly Transportation Committee but a public hearing has yet to be scheduled. Segway Inc. and its representatives in Sacramento are working aggressively to line up support among several leading organizations including those representing California communities, police, and environmentalists. We also know that dealers and owners throughout California want to become involved in the legislative process to ensure victory and certainly when the need for widespread involvement becomes necessary, we will seek it. Look for future notices on SegwayChat and from SegAmerica.

The Government Relations Team at Segway Inc. welcomes your questions and comments. They can be directed to media@segway.com.

Regards,

Matt Dailida

Director of Regulatory Affairs, Segway Inc.
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