Segway Scooters Are A Big Hit With The City So Seattle May Buy A Few More

By KATHY MULADY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

The city of Seattle's six-month Segway experiment went so well that the self-balancing scooters will likely become permanent.

Fleets and Facilities Director John Franklin said yesterday he wants to ask for 10 more next year; the city already has 10.

Franklin said it's hard to beat the transporters, which cost about $5,000 each, don't pollute, require little maintenance and cost about $3 a year to power.

Productivity doubled for water meter readers who usually drive on their routes, Franklin said. There was also a 20 percent increase by meter readers who usually walk their routes.

The productivity gains were so impressive that Seattle Public Utilities is considering redesigning its routes to use more Segways.

City employees who collect coins from parking meters are also testing the Segways. The scooters make it easier to lug the heavy bags of quarters. Seattle Center and Parks and Recreation employees could be the next to test the transporters.

"We are trying to be careful, we don't want to overdo it, we only want to use the Segways where we know there are productivity benefits in addition to environmental benefits," Franklin said.

The city has 3,250 vehicles in its fleet -- including heavy trucks, police cars, pickups, passenger cars and scooters. The city buys about 150 vehicles a year and uses 2.4 million gallons of gasoline and diesel each year.

In a report to the City Council yesterday, Steve Nicholas, director of the city's 3-year-old Office of Sustainability and Environment, reported on ways the city is working to reduce gasoline use and pollution.

"It's about more than just the environment, it's about public health, and it's about government efficiencies and sound economics," said Councilwoman Jan Drago.

Some of the city's other goals for reducing pollution include:

• Requiring that half of the new cars bought each year have a fuel efficiency rating of at least 45 miles per gallon, or are electric hybrids.
• Buying fewer cars.
• Encouraging employees to use alternatives to driving.
• Cutting vehicle fuel use to 2.3 million gallons by the end of 2005 -- a 5 percent reduction compared with 1999.
• Launching a public campaign to reduce idling on the city's drawbridges.

The city started adding hybrid electric cars to its fleet in 2000 and now has 189 "clean and green" vehicles.

"We want city government to be a model of environmental and sustainable practices, not just for ourselves, but to act as an example to others," Nicholas said.

The city is also keeping the environment in mind in construction projects, including the Seattle Justice Center, the Central Library and new City Hall.

Nicholas said an "A-to-Z approach" is taken on projects that includes locating buildings near public transportation, recycling debris, using recycled materials and selecting environmentally friendly fixtures -- right down to the compact fluorescent light bulbs.

One of the city's biggest challenges has been reducing pesticide use by 30 percent -- the main problem is the city's golf greens. Sixty percent of the city's total pesticide use involves five public golf courses.

"It's a real tough challenge, there aren't a lot of good alternatives," Nicholas said.

P-I reporter Kathy Mulady can be reached at 206-448-8029 or kathymulady@seattlepi.com