May 30, 2008

Segway and trolley give Downtown streets a new look


Yes, this was Racine's Downtown Friday afternoon -- normal traffic making way for the summer trolley and the Downtown Racine Corporation's new Segway people transporter.

Sure gives the street and sidewalk a different look!

Steering the Segway down the sidewalk is Sarah Dyer, 20, in her second week as a Downtown Ambassador. Sarah is a senior at UW-Madison, an English major hoping to be a teacher someday. A Park High graduate, she sought out an Ambassador position after hearing about it from her cousin who was one a couple of years ago.

She sees the job as providing information about downtown to anyone who asks: telling them where and when events are scheduled, for example. And also patrolling the city's parking lots and structures, making sure cars are safe.

Don't get the idea being a Downtown Ambassador is all Segwaying up and down Main Street: Sarah told me her pedometer clocked her walking six miles this morning traversing the same route on foot.

Meanwhile, on the highway part of the street, Downtown's two summer trolleys began driving their route this week. The trolleys, managed by the Belle Urban Bus system, operate downtown between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

One trolley runs Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the second provides Pub and Grub service downtown from 4 p.m. to midnight. The fare at all times is 25 cents per ride. Routes cover restaurants, pubs, the art district, the library, museums and other downtown attractions. The Friday and Saturday evening pub and grub route goes to 15 downtown restaurants, numerous pubs and taverns and two theaters. The trolleys' route and schedule is HERE.

If you want a ride, just hail the trolley from anywhere downtown.

Our earlier story about how Downtown got its Segway is HERE.

7 comments:

  1. I hope those Segways were donated.

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  2. Nah, I'm sure Becker wasted more taxpayer money on feel good crap, ONCE AGAIN!!!

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  3. Unless you have the FACTS don't comment. You people are nothing but gossip groupies. Get a life!

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  4. Not donated or purchased by the city. It was purchased by DRC. Personally I think they could have done a lot more with $3500.

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  5. That probably means it was purchased by the B.I.D. #1 which is a second tax placed upon the property owners of downtown. Do we need segways or do we need ambassadors and for that matter do we need DRC? No, no and no.

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  6. I totally agree Katie, the ambassadors don't even make eye contact with people on the street or merchants in their own stores.

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  7. If these are legal to ride on sidewalks why are the little electric scooters and mini bikes illegal to ride on sidewalks ?
    In a neighborhood let alone the DBD.

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