A Folly Named Trolley

There is a debate in Lancaster about whether to bring back streetcars to the downtown. It has become an issue in the the upcoming election. I am for alternative forms of transportation, but I don't think this makes sense. Do I wish they had never gotten rid of the streetcars we had? Sure. You can't buy the kind of authenticity a continuously operating line would have. But to tear up the streets now and put the tracks back would be a tremendous cost, both in money and disruption to traffic, both during construction and on-going.

I understand the reasons why some want streetcars. Lancaster is an old city. It is essentially built-out. The streets, which were established before automobiles existed, are narrow and crowded. Parking is scarce. Areas of shopping, eateries and entertainment are sometimes separated by blocks of houses or offices. It is difficult for individuals to avail themselves of all the attractions downtown on foot. People want transportation that is convenient. How are we to solve this problem? If only there were an example we could look to...

Hey, wait, don't European cities have these exact same problems? How do they deal?

photo by Sweetgrzly and nicked from Google Images

Wheels 2009 - The Photos

This past weekend was the annual Wheels show in downtown Lancaster. I was wondering if there would be any scooter presence this year, but just as I arrived, I saw Ryan and Lauren pulling in with their friend Mike. All three were riding Hondas. A new aquaintence, Vinny, was also there with a red Stella. I pulled my new white Vespa up next to them to make a respectable representation for scooters.

Ryan and Mike showed their Honda Ruckuses, both of which have been heavily modified. Ryan's midnight blue one was sporting a new set of handlebars since I last saw it, but looking pretty finished. Mike's is still a work in progress, looking for that balance of customization vs. complying with PennDOT's arcane rule book.

You really need to know the configuration of a stock Ruckus to appreciate how much work has gone into these. Mike's guages and lights have all been fabricated into the box under the handlebars. And that box has been given a custom airbrucsh/spray paint job by Derek Cochran. Photos cannot capture the eye-assaulting shade of pink on the rims. But it works well with the white, and it's echoed in the outline of the graffiti.

Compared to the boys, Lauren's Metropolitan is the essence of classic style. But don't be fooled; a lot of work went into this also. Honda doesn't make them look like turquoise '57 Chevys. That's a custom paint job on an '02 (which is where the brown seat, floor and grips come from). Note the paint on the swing arm and exhaust covers, for an extra splash of color. A cavernous wicker basket has been added to the back and the wire basket in the leg shield has been wrapped in that same wicker. On top of the new paint has been added brand new chrome badges from '09. The result is a tastefully refurbished Metro that could be confused for factory new.

The scooters attracted the attention of Mayor Gray and his wife, who stopped to talk to Mike, Lauren and Ryan about their own scooters. The Mayor also mentioned the free scooter parking around the ramp of the Prince Street Garage. He hinted that maybe the rule about registering before using isn't being so closely watched... but you didn't hear it from me ;-). He did say that he hopes to create more official scooter parking around town, but can only do so if he can show the existing spaces are being used: so get to the Prince Street Garage! And remember that the scooterist's friend in City Hall is up for re-election this year, so register to vote.

To wrap up, here are some more photos taken around the festival. Remember, you can click on any of the photos above or below to view them larger.

Christmas Downtown

It's Christmas time, and tonight the Mayor lit the Christmas Tree in Penn Square. It was also First Friday, which means stores and gallerys downtown were open late. Even Central Market was open. So I had a chai latte and did some shopping.

And yes, I rode my scooter. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the free parking! Queen Street was closed between Vine and Orange, which had traffic snarled. If more people had been driving scooters, congestion would not have been so bad!

But I can't blame them. There was a little ice and snow on the ground. The streets were wet. It turned out that it wasn't much trouble for the fat tires of a C3. It was cold. Not much wind, but the few blocks I could get up to 35mph were a little biting. I wore my half-helmet with the face shield so that I could stash it under the seat while parked. It was only my chin and ears that were exposed. Otherwise there was no problem.

Monday it's supposed to get back up the the upper 40's. If the forecast holds, I'll ride to work. My goal is to commute on the scooter at least once every month throught the winter.

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.