Leaning toward eco-friendly transportation

By Mary Malahy, Racquet, April 22, 2010

Segways seemed to have taken over Badger Street on April 13 and 14, when Segway of Wisconsin gave students the chance to test drive their eco-friendly mode of transportation on campus.

Dr. Gail Gillis brought Segway of Wisconsin to campus as a treat for her Production and Operations Management class.

“This is just for them to have fun,” Gillis said. “It’s all about the students today.”

As the students zipped down the street in front of Wimberly it was evident that Gillis accomplished her goal for the day.

According to Jennifer Connors Clark, director of sales and marketing for Segway of Wisconsin, Gillis’s students weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the Segways. She said it was amazing how many students were interested and that the classes filled up within an hour of her arrival.

“Segways are a very unique, versatile, green mode of transportation for a single person,” Clark said.

Clark explained that they are green because they do not have any emissions and do not require any fossil fuels. The user simply charges the vehicle and then can ride for 24 miles before charging it again. According to Clark, this is very cost effective because it only costs 25 cents to fully charge a battery.

Segways are convenient for short trips such as going grocery shopping, Clark said. They travel at 12.5 miles per hour and can be driven inside or outside. In Wisconsin it is legal to ride them on sidewalks, so they can be used pretty much anywhere people walk or bike, Clark said.

According to Clark, Segways have become popular with airport staff, police officers and security guards. They are particularly nice for police officers, Clark added. She explained that if someone sees a police officer running down the street he or she knows something is wrong and becomes curious. But if someone sees a police officer gliding down the street on a Segway, they simply think it looks cool.

“It draws the right kind of attention and keeps away the wrong kind,” Clark said.

Segways are also very popular in warehouses or in companies with large campuses, Clark said, because employees are much more efficient if they can travel faster.

According to Gillis, the visit from Segway tied into her class because she is teaching about being environmentally friendly in the business world.