Scooter Operators Point Out Downtown Hazards
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"The motivation of the council obviously is to create a safe environment, not only for the people in the wheelchairs but for the people driving on the roads," said Councilor Richard Alcombright.
Among the problems they found along the sidewalks were cracked and missing pieces, heaving, bumby transitions on curb cuts and narrow widths.
Verda Senecal, who uses a motorized wheelchair, or power chair, was also concerned about sidewalks along businesses such as Cumberland Farms, where motorists back out to leave.
"That's a disaster for us. Even though we try to watch it, you always find that somebody is not going to look out their back window no matter how much we mark our scooters," she said. "People in cars have got to take as much responsibility as us."
The tour was prompted by the council's decision to create an ordinance regulating the use of the scooters. Alcombright had suggested the ordinance after nearly hitting a person using a scooter in the road.
The ordinance, which is still being written, will likely limit the use of power chairs to pedestrian ways and require safety flags or other easy-to-spot markings.
Working both sides of Main Street, Goodell and Senecal pointed out holes in the walkway and bumpy patches on the concrete. Goodell, who also uses a power chair, said that in the winter, she is often forced to shovel her way through some curb cuts.
"I can see where this can be problem in a handicapped situation," said Councilor Marie Harpin, as she and Councilor Ronald Bloom watched Goodell demonstrate how her chair rocks going over a bumpy curb cut.
Some of the areas could be fixed with proper patching; others would likely have to wait until spring because it would involve resetting or replacing slabs.
"This has gotten to be an issue that is more than just for handicapped people," said Senecal, because it related to the hearing impaired, elderly who use walkers, or even mothers pushing strollers. "It's gotten really to be a community issue, at least with me."
The city's handicapped commission has been dormant for several years but Mayor John Barrett III was planning to reactivate it. The council hopes to get input from a new commission as it reviews the new scooter ordinance. The goal of the ordinance is to increase the safety of both operators and motorists but it's also brought to light some of the everyday problems the city's handicapped are dealing with.
"It's given these folks a voice, too, in some of the concerns they have in terms of access and safety," said Alcombright. "I think this will be a work in progress. I think we'll get the safety concerns settled and then work on infrastructure, if that's what we need to do."
