University of Wisconsin students may no longer be the only locals zooming around on scooters. The Madison Police Department’s parking officers are considering abandoning their conventional method of transportation in favor of new battery-powered Segway scooters.
While parking enforcement officers currently rely on Jeep Wranglers as their means of mobility, recent budgetary troubles have led the Police Department to consider less costly alternatives.
Developed over a 10-year period at a cost of more than $100 million, the two-wheeled Segway scooters were first available in the United States in March 2003 and are the first self-balancing, electronic devices to be produced. They can travel at a maximum speed of 12.5 miles an hour and move and turn in response to the passenger’s shifting body weight.
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz believes the implementation of Segway scooters by the police department may be especially beneficial for the city.
“[The scooters] save money in terms of not having to buy Jeeps. They also have the added benefit of having a less negative impact on the environment,” Melanie Conklin, press secretary for Cieslewicz, said.
Conklin stressed although Cieslewicz likes the creativity of the police department’s proposal, their current focus is “looking to determine whether it is a replacement or an addition [to the department’s Wrangler fleet].”
Sgt. Mark Brown of the Madison Police Department will conduct a study on the proposed use of the scooters this upcoming summer. Proposals will then be submitted officially to the police management and mayor’s office, according to the Capital Times.
Brown said the idea for using the Segways emerged as a result of the state’s budgetary problems. The Madison Police Department replaces one Jeep every year, which costs between $5,000 and $6,000 to run. By introducing the Segways into their fleet, the police department instead may be able to buy a new Jeep every three or four years.
Because the Segways are battery-powered, they cost as little as $3 a year to power and require minimal maintenance. The batteries can be fully recharged in as little as four hours.
UW senior Derek van Dijkum thinks the proposal is interesting, but is skeptical given the state’s current financial condition.
“I fully support the use of the Segways, but think that [the city] needs to be extremely cautious with any new expenditures. Because the state is in debt right now, it is important that the Segways not only be less costly, but also that they allow parking enforcers to perform their jobs at the current level or more effectively,” van Dijkum said.
If Brown’s study proves the devices to be assets to the department, Madison may be one of few cities in the nation to use Segways. Police departments in New York City and Seattle, Wash. already use Segways.
