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Developers banking on Segways to help residents beat traffic

At least 10 of the personal transports will be available at the Residences at Windward Passage so residents can avoid congested roads.

By CHASE DAVIS
Published January 15, 2005

CLEARWATER - It looks odd scooting around, on two big wheels that softly hum as they spin. And its driver often looks even stranger, swaying and wobbling just to steer it around.

But after a deal struck by local developers, you can expect to see more of the loudly hyped Segway human-transport device around town in the next few years.

As part of the Residences at Windward Passage - high-end condominiums being built in the Island Estates neighborhood - developers Larry Cooper and Sal Haider unveiled a plan Wednesday to keep at least 10 Segways on-hand for residents to use when traffic gets ugly.

Tampa-area Segway dealer Jack Boone said this is the first deal he has struck with a developer, and it's the first he's heard of between Segway and a developer anywhere. Both Cooper and Boone said Clearwater could be crawling with the $4,500 gizmos before the end of the decade.

"Really, it's a way of the future," Cooper said.

Their vision for the Segways looks something like this:

As more people pack into the condos and apartments that are expected to be built on Clearwater Beach, traffic snarls will get worse. And asking people to endure mile-long traffic jams for a quick trip to the grocery store isn't reasonable.

Enter the Segway. At a top speed of 12 mph, it can get around most destinations on Clearwater Beach within a few minutes. The devices are relatively easy to ride and can carry items such as groceries. And all a resident has to do is check one out from the fleet, free of charge.

The Windward Passage complex, scheduled to open next year, contains 55 units selling for $750,000 to $1.2-million each. Cooper said free Segway access is part of the draw for prospective Windward residents because eventually, the Segway will be one of the easiest ways to get around Clearwater Beach.

But Boone hopes Windward Passage is just the start.

About 100 Tampa Bay area residents have bought Segways so far, Boone said. But he envisions hundreds more on the street in the future, with battery-charging stations in restaurants and shopping centers. Maybe police officers will ride on them. And certainly condo dwellers would be interested, he said.

"These people are prisoners in their million-dollar homes," Boone said at a reception Wednesday held by the developers, as he gestured to one of the condos towering over Clearwater Beach.

The reception was held for Realtors interested in Windward Passage. Many of the guests seemed equally interested and baffled by the Segway. Some said the device looked interesting and useful, while others were skeptical.

"For someone like me, it'd be a lot of fun," said Realtor Rebecca Knox. "But I don't know what I'd do with it."

Still, the thought of less traffic on the beach appealed to most people.

"I wouldn't mind seeing more of these things rolling around," said Realtor Sharon Rochester, "rather than Lincolns."

[Last modified January 15, 2005, 01:12:05]