City Council Committee Recommends Segway Ban on Venice Boardwalk

A proposal to ban Segways on the Ocean Front Boardwalk at Venice Beach won support Wednesday from the City Council's Transportation Committee.

Members of the City Council's Transportation Committee voted this afternoon to recommend the ordinance to the council for consideration. The proposal was drafted in response to an increase in accidents involving Segways — two-wheeled, battery-powered electric vehicles — and pedestrians on the boardwalk.

"A lot of folks have begun to use Segways to get around on the boardwalk and it's just too damn crowded and the cops have been reporting a lot of accidents," Councilman Mike Bonin, the committee's chair, told Video News West.

Bicycles are not allowed on the boardwalk, but Segways are. Some of the injury accidents involved children and seniors, according to Bonin.

Segways won't be completely banned from the areas around Venice Beach as they will still be allowed on the bicycle path.

"It is an increasingly popular way for people who are looking for an environmentally friendly way to get to work," Bonin said.

— City News Service