Until recently, Philadelphia scooter drivers could park at bike racks on city sidewalks.  Then Philadelphia started a new plan: no more scooters parked at bike racks.  Scooters now have to park with the motorcycles in dedicated parking slots on the road.  Scooter drivers are having fits and they're now stalking the Philadelphia Parking Authority meetings demanding that they be allowed to park in bike racks again. 

What's the problem in Philadelphia, and why are scooter drivers so upset?

The answer is totally obvious when you think about it:  Scooters are frequently stolen, even in broad daylight.  Two grown men can pick up a scooter and toss it into the back of a pickup and be gone within seconds. 

"Hog" thieves have a harder time since the average cruiser is three time the weight of a scooter and requires about 10 men to pick one up and toss it into a waiting pickup.

To defend  themselves, scooter-heads have always tried to park in bike racks where their scoots  can be chained to the bike rack.  Now that Philadelphia scooters must park in motorcycle spaces, the theft rate of scooters has jumped as the scooter thieves pounce on the now-unsecured little machines.

As we know in Vancouver, local parking administrators are completely unaware of the theft issues that worry scooter drivers, and don't understand what the concern is.  In Philadelphia, scooter owners and small motorcycle owners are now stalking the Philadelphia Parking Authority meetings, trying to get them to focus on this security issue.  But the Philadelphia Parking Authority keeps cancelling and moving its meetings to avoid the outraged scooterists.
Here at mcparking.ca, we're concerned, too, and we'll do our best to keep you informed.

If you drive a motorcycle or a scooter, then certainly you know of the pains associated with street parking. Not only do you first have to deal with actually finding a parking spot for your compact vehicle, but you also run the additional risk of getting ticketed. Well, good news! Yesterday, CurbNinja launched its crowd-sourcing app, which allows users to find and share parking spots for two-wheeled vehicles.

“Living in the city, you learn where all of the best places to stash your bike on the street are, especially for free. I found myself taking pictures of my bike in these spots to thwart possible tickets, and then mapping them for personal use,” said CurbNinja cofounder, Tim Hines, in a statement. “CurbNinja was born out of that mapping idea. We created the ability for users to share these spots with millions of riders across the country in turn saving them the hassles of city parking.”

CurbNinja, available on Android & iPhone (and Blackberry) is available on your phone's App Shoppe (Google Play or App Store).

The State of Ohio has repealed a traffic rule that limited sidewalk parking to bicycles and allows small motorbikes to park there, too, starting at the end of May. Owners of scooters will have to walk their bikes on the sidewalk and will be prohibited from blocking pedestrian traffic.

Senator Bill Seitz introduced the bill after learning of scooter drivers trying to find a Downtown parking spot for their scooters. Most days, attorney Jeffrey Schloemer commutes by scooter from his Mount Adams home to the Downtown offices of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister and typically spent considerable time trying to find somewhere to park his scooter.  Schloemer said,"It's actually much easier to park a car than a scooter, but it doesn't seem to be environmentally responsible to drive my car when a scooter does the job much more efficiently."

On warm days, the city’s designated motorcycle or scooter parking areas are full by 8:30 a.m. Since most garages won’t admit motorcycles or scooters, and metered parking has time limits, “you end up driving all over town to find something,” Schloemer told The Enquirer last fall.

Changing Ohio law to let scooters park on the sidewalk would be “an inducement to living close to Downtown,” Schloemer said. Seitz said the change would encourage people to use energy-efficient ways to commute at little or no cost to the local cities.

While Vancouver remains confused about motorcycle parking, the State of Ohio is moving to allow parking on sidewalks!

From The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP:

CINCINNATI — A proposal before state lawmakers would let Ohioans park their motor scooters on sidewalks.

State Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, sponsored the measure after hearing about the parking struggles of his law partner.

Cincinnati attorney Jeffrey Schloemer said most designated spots are gone on warmer days, and most garages won’t admit scooters.

Current Ohio law bars vehicles from parking on sidewalks, while allowing bicycles. The proposal would let people park motor scooters or certain motorbikes on sidewalks, as long they do not impede the normal flow of pedestrian traffic.

The Senate recently passed the bill with a unanimous vote, sending it to the House.

This remarkable photograph shows Vancouver's puzzling new attitude toward its citizens who prefer greener transportation vehicles!  The photo shows FREE parking for cars, but PAY parking meters for 2-wheelers.  To most observers, it looks like Vancouver is encouraging cars and discouraging motorcycles.

As you can see, the result is that motorcycles park on the free side of the line, taking up free car parking space (which annoys the car drivers) instead of using the pricey motorbike parking spaces.

Is this oversight or accident?  Are Vancouver's traffic organizers forcing motorcycles to pay for parking while encouraging cars with free parking?  How does this fit with Vancouver's plan to encourage greener transportation?   Take a moment to send an email to council members (the links are on the left & right sides of this page) and let them know what you think - otherwise they'll continue thinking that nobody really cares about any of this!
  

I recently returned from a 10-day visit to the United Kingdom. Our party of three rented motorcycles and began our journey north from London to Fort William, Scotland.

Prior to our arrival in the U.K., we were already aware that motorcyclists and taxis can use bus lanes in some cities. This helps ease congestion and saves fuel.

We also knew that motorcyclists are allowed to go to the head of the queue at red traffic lights, versus waiting in line with automobiles. Motorcyclists are also allowed to "lane split," which is traveling at a very low speed down the center of the road when traffic is at a complete standstill. British motorists move over to allow motorcycles safe passage down the middle.

What we did discover on this trip was that motorcyclists are exempt from tolls on bridges. Motorcyclists simply slow at the toll collection area and are waved through by the toll attendant. Paid parking lots in cities all have areas specifically designated for motorcycles only. These too are free of charge. Gas is just over $8 a gallon ($2/litre) in Europe and because of this, there are many scooters and motorcycles on European roadways. Motorists are courteous to bikers, and laws are in place to help keep us moving safely, while saving gas and easing congestion.