Written by Orin O'Neill
Reprinted from Scootin' Old Skool
Seattle municipal officials and riders of 2-wheeled vehicles met this evening at Seattle City Hall to discuss the good--and bad--points about riding in the Emerald City. The Bertha Knight Landes room at City Hall was filled nearly to capacity, a show of hands by attendees confirming that nearly everyone in the audience got there on two wheels.
Councilmember Jan Drago, chair of the City Council's transportation committee, opened the discussion by speaking of the need for transportation alternatives, pointing out there is no one solution to the Seattle area's growing traffic congestion. City Councilmember Sally Clark pointed out that scooters "emit less pollution, take up less space, use less gas and oil." All good things, she added, and all things that would contribute greatly to Seattle's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Seth Bedwell, president of the Mosquito Fleet, spoke of the unique problems faced by moped owners, namely the ease with which their bikes can be stolen if there's no solid object to chain up to. To prove his point, Bedwell showed a picture of Allstate Bill holding a moped over his head, explaining there's nothing like the ignition/headset lock you'd find on a scooter or motorcycle. And that a moped can be pedaled, even with the engine off.
Susan Richardson, owner of Scoot About scooter rentals, shared statistics about scooter and motorcycle ridership in the state of Washington. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, she said, Washington ranks 7th in the U.S. in scooter sales. She also talked about parking, asking the city to set aside more regular spaces and more dedicated scooter spots.
Dan Nolte, Councilmember Clark's legislative aide, talked about the scooter situation in Milwaukee, Wis. and Cleveland, Ohio, cities similar in size to Seattle. He also mentioned Portland's motorcycle/scooter citizens' advisory committee, and San Francisco's dedicated motorcycle parking, which utilizes numbered spaces and a special parking meter.
Capt. Fred Hill, a 39-year Seattle Police veteran and head of the department's traffic enforcement unit, admitted he hadn't heard of any instance of a parked scooter being moved so someone could park in the space. Hill, who said he owned a Vespa in the '60s, admitted there is not much the police can do to prevent such actions, but did say the best thing to do if you see someone disturbing your scooter is to call 911 immediately. He also noted that fully half of motorcyclists and scooter riders pulled over in Seattle are not properly licensed, urging anyone who doesn't have a motorcycle endorsement to take a class and get one.
Mike Estey, manager of the Seattle Dept. of Transportation's parking operations division, admitted the city's approach to parking has been "reactive," saying the city does not distinguish between cars and motorcycles/scooters in making policy decisions. Parking is arguably the biggest headache for the Seattle scooterist; Estey said his department is trying to figure out better ways of accommodating scooters and motorcycles. As to the issue of allowing scooters and mopeds to park on sidewalks, Estey pointed out the way the scooter gets to its sidewalk parking space is a serious issue, the safety of pedestrians on sidewalks being paramount.
Lauren Briel of the Urban Mobility Group spoke briefly about her organization's mission to connect people with information necessary to make informed decisions about getting around. She talked about the number of parking facilities in downtown Seattle offering reduced-rate parking for 2-wheelers, and the relative lack of knowledge about those facilities. Estey said his department would work to make such information available via an online map at the City of Seattle's Web site.
Following a comment period, Councilmember Drago ended the discussion by saying, "I think I learned more than anyone." Good. Let's hope this new-found knowledge will result in some quick action...
