Segways may soon be illegal in downtown La Crosse

The city of La Crosse is putting a stop to personal electric mobility devices on downtown sidewalks, which are better known as Segways.

The Board of Public Works is looking to make them illegal to use on sidewalks in the downtown area.

Segways travel about 15 mph, which the city believes is a safety hazard for pedestrians. However the city is giving them the okay to be used on any of the city’s trail systems.

“Those are wide enough. They’re like 8 feet, 10 feet wide. The Segways are 24 maybe 30 inches wide. So, there is an area where they can be used with in the terms of our ordinances being proposed,” said La Crosse Director of Public Works Dale Hexom.

The proposal is expected to go to a city committee in May.