Community Police & Fire Transportation

Citizen Complaints Continue Regarding Segway Tours in Parks and Along Harborwalk

It’s December, but the Segway tours roll on as does the stream of complaints filed in Boston’s Citizens Connect reporting system. This weekend, someone captured the photo below of a Segway tour traveling along the Harborwalk and Christopher Columbus Park. (View report.)

The newly installed bicycle lanes have helped encourage the tours to use the streets rather than the sidewalks, although Segways are still regularly seen traveling through the parks. According to the regulations passed by the City Council and signed by Mayor Menino last June, Segway tours are only allowed on public roads. Boston Gliders, the North End-based Segway tour company, has legally contested the new ordinance.

Several readers have asked about the new coffee shop at 75 Commercial Street, the former location of Boston Gliders. A call to the Licensing Board indicated the company’s application for a Common Victualer (C.V.) license was denied last year. However, according to Joe Ingram, VP Marketing, NEWS, the North End Welcome Station, is being operated separately from Boston Gliders and has filed an application for the property to sell coffee and pre-packaged items. The concept is to promote North End tours and businesses. We plan to post more information about NEWS in an upcoming post.