Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Parking News (which is news and may or may not be information)

I sent an Email asking about scooter parking to both the office of the Mayor of Lancaster and to the Lancaster Parking Authority. I asked specificly if scooters were allowed to park on the sidewalk, and for any information about dedicated space in City lots and garages. So far I have only heard back from Pat Brogan, the Mayor's Chief of Staff.
Ms. Brogan didn't provide any specific information. She only indicated that they are reviewing ordinances and that they "expect to move forward on these initiatives while the warm weather is with us." She also said, "It's a great time to have a scooter in the City!" So, no official news yet. But some encouragement is always... well, encouraging.
Part of the problem may be the overlapping definitions of motorcycle, motor-driven cycles(including scooters, which are also motorcycles), and "pedacycles"(which everyone else knows as mopeds, and are specificly exempted from the other 2 categories, even if they meet the definition). There are also laws about "motorized scooters" which are actually like those Razor scooters with engines on them. Just about all the laws about them prohibit them from being used anywhere by anyone. But they're called scooters.
If this page is to be believed (and my research leads me to believe it, despite it's AOL domain and indigo background), then the real answer is that only "pedacycles" may park on the sidewalk. A "pedacyle" must have operable pedals, like a bicycle. So, no scooters on the sidewalk.
Another interesting law I found on that site: you may park as many motorcycles as you want in a single designated parking space. BUT! If any ONE of those motorcycles sticks out and exceeds the boundaries that a single car would take up, ALL of the motorcycles in that space are considered to be in violation and are each individually liable as if they each were the only occupant of that space. Keep in mind that a scooter is a motor-driven cycle, which is also a motorcycle, and may or may not be a pedacycle or a scooter.
When Ms. Brogan says they are "reviewing ordinances", they have their work cut out for them.

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