*** Seattle City Council restricts use of motor scooters ***

Seattle, Washington -- 07/08/2004
The Seattle City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to prohibit
riding motorized scooters on bike lanes and public paths and in
schoolyards.

The measure allows electric scooters, but not faster
gas-powered scooters, to be ridden on city sidewalks.

The bill also requires gas-scooter riders to be 16 years old
and for their scooters to be equipped with mufflers.

Motorized foot scooters, as defined by the bill, have handlebars,
and wheels that are smaller than 10 inches in diameter.

Mike Kristofferson, owner of the MotorManMike Electric
Scooter Repair shop in Fremont, said he was pleased with
the legislation. Kristofferson, who rode an electric scooter
to the council meeting, said the bill makes an important distinction
between gas and electric foot scooters.

"When the ordinance was first drafted, it lumped electric and
gas scooters together," Kristofferson said. "Electric scooters
are different."

Councilman Richard Conlin, who sponsored the bill, said the
measure aims to protect pedestrians, neighborhoods and riders
of motorized foot scooters.

He said the bill "primarily stemmed from concerns over the
gas-powered [foot] scooters. They've been very problematic
for people."

At Conlin's request, the council added two features to the
measure yesterday: One prohibits riders from carrying passengers
on scooters, and another requires riders to wear bicycle helmets.

Though he voted for the bill, Councilman Tom Rasmussen said
electric scooters and Segway vehicles should be allowed on
playgrounds when school is out, to give children a place to practice.

"If a child can ride a bicycle around a schoolyard," Kristofferson
said, "they should be allowed to ride an electric scooter."

The ban on motorized scooters in schoolyards
remained in the bill as passed by the council.

The bill was backed by Mayor Greg Nickels. "We're pleased
to see the legislation pass because it helps promote public safety,"
said Nickels' spokesman Casey Corr. "We haven't seen all of the
amendments, so we'll have to reserve final comment until we see
the legislation in its entirety."

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