Boston City Council Votes to Limit Personal Use of Segways

Segways. Are they a problem in Boston? To make sure that they aren't, the Boston City Council unanimously approved new rules to restrict personal use of vehicles such as Segways.

The weekly council meeting was a quick one with a focus on the personal motorized vehicles. The regulation creates a general prohibition of Segways for personal use, but provides a licensing structure for tour groups to continue usage through the Boston Police Department's Hackney Division.

Read the new ordinance here.

District 3 Councilor Maureen Feeney, chair of the Committee on Government Relations, stressed the findings of a public hearing in March 2010 that investigated public safety concerns of Segways.

In other action at Wednesday's meeting:

• A grant of $2.4 million from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security’s (DHS), Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) was announced and will be used to integrate trunked radio networks operated by the cities of Boston and Cambridge, and Massport and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts into a regional network.
• District 2 City Councilor Bill Linehan's order for hearings on economic and residential development of Boston neighborhoods, in regards to the minimization of neighborhood parking, was referred to the Committee of Economic Development. 
• District 8 City Councilor Mike Ross weighed in on the projects changes of residential development in Mission Hill and private companies changing their residential statuses from condos to rentals, "College students are moving in, which is what neighborhoods are arguing against. I'm glad to hear we are dealing with this issue."