June 21, 2005

Good morning (good afternoon). My name is Joel Ospa and I’m representing the Sanibel Bicycle Club today.

In January, we circulated a letter, which presented the Club’s position on Segways and whether Billy’s permit should be approved. We believe this letter clearly states the Club’s position. However, we do want to elaborate on several points.

It’s important to keep in mind that the issue members of our club are most concerned with is the safety and usability of the path system. We believe the paths are not as safe as they need to be… and can be. The narrow paths (almost none of the paths meet the current DOT or state standards of 10-12 feet)… the high usage and congestion, … the many points of intersection with cars (particularly along the Periwinkle corridor), and too many blind spots are individually, and collectively dangerous.

Consequently, we are very concerned about any action that increases the usage and compromises the safety of the path system without improving it… like adding motorized Segways to the path traffic.

We recognize that very little information is available today on the safety
“track record” of Segways, nor on how to manage their usage. The Planning Commission has granted a limited, 18 month permit for Billy to give tours of up to 10 people, with a set of conditions. We are recommending that the City consider this a “controlled introduction” of Segways onto Sanibel, which the City needs to monitor and evaluate so that we can better understand their usage and safety. This experience will provide the Council with better information on regulating their use in the future. During this 18-month evaluation period, no other Segways should be allowed on the island.

It is equally important that during this 18-month trial period the City conduct a complete, thorough, and professional usage survey of the paths. We need to understand traffic volume on all the paths, the usage patterns by cyclists, skaters, and pedestrians, and path congestion points. We should closely track all accidents and incidents, and specifically focus on safety issues raised about Segways and their impact on other users of the path system. The survey will also help us prioritize what paths need to be widened and enhanced first.

In closing, we want to be clear that we don’t think Segways are inherently “unsafe”. We think the current Sanibel path system is unsafe and are very concerned that adding any traffic to the existing system increases the danger. We need to focus on our priorities…. Building a safer and more usable path system on Sanibel…. That we can all enjoy.