- Start of discussion of Regulations .
See also : MotorBoard/LawDocs
Kathryn Freed 1st Dist Council Mem | HOMELIB |>| C:COSYB 51 Chambers St #429 | JOB |>| MnhtnTranSport.Reg New York NY 10007 | DDT |>| MON.SEP,950918,11:16 732-5675 | LOC |>| NYC -5 Dear CouncilWoman Freed , I`m addressing this to you for several reasons : We`ve met each other , first at a meeting at 49-Fulton THU.SEP,1992ë9ë3 fearing an amusement park at piers 13 & 14 , then at Ceres Gallery THU.SEP,1992ë9ë17 . You are my direct representative with the City . I believe your sense of quality of life represents the critical audience I need to accommodate . I`m writing this from the perspective of a 50 year old guy who loves to get around to the cultural , business and civic events in this city , but who has a left ankle shattered in a rock-climbing fall 23 years ago . BACKGROUND : A continuing theme in media covering new technology is the search for personal urban transportation for the 21st century . For instance , within the last year or so , I`ve seen stories on programs like ' Beyond 2000 ' and ' NextStep ' on the Discovery channel , showing a Japanese ' car ' ( really a go-cart ) in a suitcase , and , within the last few months , an electric powered standup scooter in San Francisco . These vehicles tend to be impractical for various reasons . Recently , a type of vehicle has been created which is becoming sufficiently practical to support a rapidly growing market . When folded , it is easier to carry and takes up less space in an apartment than does a bicycle . When the 10-speed bike I had had for 17 years was stolen outside a gallery opening on Broadway near Houston back on WED.JUN,1990.6.6 , I delayed getting a replacement . I became aware of the existence of very small gas powered ' skateboards with a handle ' which , while primitive , looked to offer the mobility I sought . I later learned these are ' California Go-Peds ' . By the spring of `94 , I finally found a much more ' road-worthy ' machine developed substantially by Anthony Pepe whose company Trans/Sports International is located in a small walk-down bicycle shop at 207 E 85th St ( literature enclosed ) . I have been pushing the limits of reliablity of his Syracuse assembled machines since . As you know , my central occupation is advancing my CoSy NoteComputer . But , its prime use is enhancing one`s ability to organize and communicate . The queries and comments I receive as I get around town convince me that the World Wide market for reliable versions this sort of Manhattan TranSport could well reach a million units and a billion dollars in a decade . I intend for CoSy to be a significant force in that market . { PRNO tcff } REGULATION : While I have met one police officer who has a tranSport , I have had discussions with several threatning to confiscate and destroy ( without due process ) my machine as ' non-conforming ' . I , of course , simply want to get where I am going without incident . Below , I outline considerations for regulations conforming to this new class of vehicle . New York City , as is inevitable for a world capital , accomodates a spectrum of vehicles on its streets from rollerblades to tractor - semitrailers . This new form of tranSport is most comparable to bicycles and rollerblades which , while much faster than pedestrians , are not fast enough to keep up with ( and should not be allowed on ) limited access thoroughfares . SAFETY : Of direct concern to the City is the safety of these vehicles for their users and for all others sharing the streets . My personal estimation is that , with proper training , the tranSport is safer than a bicycle because you are closer to the ground and can step off easily . A critical aspect in the safety of , and essential to the utility of the tranSport is that the rider is standing and therefore both has very good visability , and is very visible in traffic . Equipment : My political philosophy might best be labeled Darwinistic/Libertarian -- I don`t believe it is the government`s business to prevent people from being idiots in matters that only affect themselves . Therefore , I don`t believe in helmet laws . On the other hand , anything which effects the probability of an accident is of governmental concern . Because the vehicle itself is small and low to the ground , most safety equipment must be on the rider h(im/er)self . Rear , and preferably front , flashing warning lights , above waist level , should be required after dark , and perhaps at all times . Additionally , I believe anyone out in Manhattan traffic has at least as much need for a rear view as do the cars and trucks on which they are mandated . My years of experience convince me that to be effective , the mirrors must provide heads-up display , ie , be head mounted . One does not have time to look down at handlebar mounted mirrors and has no control over the portion of the background one glimpses in them . Overall , a helmet is the obvious carrier of choice for both these safety devices . { PRNO tcff } Behavior : Pedestrians and each class of vehicle sharing the road with the cars trucks and busses have their own optimal strategies for maximal safety which may differ from the rules for the standard vehicles . For instance , it is clear that it is in fact safest to move when all the other traffic is standing still . However , no-one has an excuse for ignoring a stop light or stop sign . On the other hand , I feel distinctly safer getting ahead of traffic so I know every one sees me , and taking advantage of empty blocks when possible . ( The acceleration of these vehicles 'off the line' is weak . ) With respect to stop lights , I practice what I would call a ' cautious pedestrian ' criterion . I stop and wait until all cross traffic has passed , and then , usually in the same conditions when pedestrians proceed , I will start out and get one block closer to my destination . There is no excuse for going the wrong way down a one-way street . A rider should , of course , follow all directions of traffic officers . On the other hand , officers should have a clear and reasonable cause for stopping and detaining a tranSport rider . While the current machines are quieter than most motorcycles , I believe they should not be allowed in Central Park on weekends when motor traffic is banned . The city needs the refuge from noise , and there are plenty of other places to ride . On the other hand , since the machines are not capable of safely keeping up with bridge traffic , they should be allowed to share , at low speed , the bicycle paths on , eg , the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridges . [ 960521| I have concluded that use of the motor should not be allowed on the Brooklyn Bridge during main tourist & pedestrian times . The rider can take the time to walk the transport up to the center of the bridge ; they get to coast down in any case . ] REGISTRATION : A registration procedure and fee like that for motor scooters and cycles would not be unreasonable if its revenues were spent for road maintenance and support of police assistance in recovery of stolen vehicles . SUMMARY : A new Manhattan TranSport is developing from sport to practical personal urban vehicle . This sort of vehicle is bound to find not only a large individual market but also a commercial market for messenger services and the like . With proper rules New York can set a standard for urban centers around the world for accommodation of this locally developed product . The New York City Police have adopted a variety of vehicles from bicycles to jet-skis to match the variety of circumstances they must deal with . I look forward to CoSy providing Personal TranSports to the department , convienently carried in the trunk of a car for use in crowd control situations where their command mobility would be of substantial value . Yours Truly, SAT.SEP,950923,12:46 Bob Armstrong - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Preparation Notes etc : HOMELIB |>| C:COSYB 'FAX0.TXT' ASCIIAPPEND CoSyToASCII QW RB PRINT RBGLB |FRI.MAY,950519,18:29| TranSport license issues PEOPLE KathrynFreed Scooter Lic interim | $26 Non-Conforming Issues Aid for my ankle injured in `72 . Noise | to same standards as other vehicles . as quite as can currently make it < many MotorCycles Polution | exceeds standards for 2-stroke engines Safety | better than Roller Bladers & probably bicycles . Equipment required
E-mails pushing MotorBoard regulation issue at time of Crains NY Breakfast Forum with the Mayor Views/Giuliani/Crains98 .
Subject: Question for the Mayor .
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 07:32:18 -0500
From: Bob Armstrong
Organization: Coherent Systems
To: GDavid@crain.com
I`ve registered for Wednesday`s breakfast .
I`d like to ask the following :
I`m an early adopter of one of those motorized standup scooters you may
have seen around .
It`s particularly useful for me because I have an ankle smashed in a
climbing accident in 1972 .
I believe these scooters , which were designed here , and are made in
Syracuse , will have an increasing role in the personel transportation mix
from now on .
Right now , the best description a police office has used for these
vehicles is ' non-conforming ' . I`d like to work with the city to define
some regulations to which they conform .
I have posted considerations for regulations on my website http://CoSy.com .
Also , the machines are reaching the level of reliability where I believe
they would be quite useful to the police department in crowd and traffic
control situations and the like .
Who should I talk to ?
BobArmstrong -- BobA -- CoherentSystems
212-285-1864 o X:-732-0244 http://cosy.com
42 PeckSlip 4B | NYC NY 10038 bob@cosy.com
Subject: Question for the Mayor .
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 08:27:00 -0500
From: Greg David
Organization: Crain Communications
To: bob@cosy.com
======== Original Message ========
I`ve registered for Wednesday`s breakfast .
I`d like to ask the following :
...
Who should I talk to ?
======== Fwd by: Greg David ========
thanks for the question, although I don't know whether there will be an
opportunity to ask it
Subject: Re: Question for the Mayor .
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 21:38:24 -0500
From: Bob Armstrong
Organization: Coherent Systems
To: Greg David
Just so long as it gets passed along .
-- BobA --
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