County to Segway into a new law restricting the scooters on the Strip

J. Craig Anderson

Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005 | 2:38 a.m.

A proposed Clark County ordinance to ban Segway scooters on the Strip is rolling ahead despite an outcry from owners of one local business that rents and sells the devices.

The ordinance, to be reintroduced Tuesday for the County Commission's approval at a future meeting, seeks to prevent increased congestion on streets and sidewalks, and to avoid "safety issues for vehicles, pedestrians, operators of (scooters), and operators and passengers of the pedicabs and other alternative forms of transportation."

The commission pulled the item from its agenda in early October to allow staff more time to examine how other cities are dealing with the two-wheeled electric devices, which carry a single standing driver.

Segway of Las Vegas co-owners Tina Marie Buffington and Robert Stevens, who rent the devices on the Strip, were hoping the delay would give them time to convince county officials that Segways are safe.

They were unsuccessful.

"The concern is that someone could get hurt on a Segway, but there's no evidence of that," Stevens said. "It's going to put us out of business. There's no question about it."

The Segway dealership, at 3049 Las Vegas Blvd. South, across from the Stardust, sells, rents and conducts tours on the scooters. The ordinance would not prohibit sales of the devices -- which retail for about $5,000. But Stevens said that sales alone could not sustain his business.

"I know of no Segway dealer in the world that makes money off of selling Segways," he said.

Although the scooters are capable of speeds greater than 10 mph, the ones Buffington and Stevens rent are modified so they cannot exceed 4 mph. Customers must have prior experience using them or agree to take a one-hour class.

County officials point out that other tourist cities such as New York and San Francisco already have passed ordinances prohibiting the scooters.

John Toth, traffic management division director for Clark County Public Works, could not be reached for comment Friday. But in October, Toth said his concerns include the weight of Segways -- 85 pounds plus the driver's weight -- and the potential number of them on Strip sidewalks if their popularity increases.

"What happens if somebody has a fleet of 100 of these things?" Toth said.

The dealership, which charges $100 for all-day use of a scooter, rents an average of five per week, Segway of Las Vegas manager Bryan Schaup said.

Schaup said he has not put much effort into advertising the rentals because of concerns that they would become illegal.

"We haven't really built up that business because of this ordinance," he said.

J. Craig Anderson can be reached at 259-2320 or at craig@lasvegassun.com.