Modern Vespa

I will join. We should post on the ScootMA thread with the date to get a big group going.

Updated article on the situation:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/28/registry_clarifies_new_scooter_law/

Helps riders for the time being. But it is not enough to delay their ill-designed legislation. I will be attending the rally on Thursday morning. I will continue to write my letters.

Hey guys I saw on this guys twitter feed hes planning a protest for thurs morning infront of the state house. I am definitely going to attend (even though as a new scooter rider I'm good for the next summer).

http://www.savescooters.com/

Also, I find it interesting in the globe article the part about how under this new law 50cc scooter riders now meet the requirements for motorcycle license, and will be required to get one to plate their 50cc scooter. The rmv is 'trying' to change it. Why wasn't this thought of BEFORE the law was passed?!?!?!?

In FL everything motorized has to be registered, and we have plenty more vehicles and population than Boston or MA and its workable.
Miami Beach specifically has the second highest housing density in the country only behind NYC (why we have such a high scooter/bicycle/bus participation relative to the rest of the state).

So to relate; re: the parking issue, you can't park on the sidewalks here, and in many cases you wouldn't want to because of the narrowness of the sidewalks. However, you can park perpendicular on-street (free) and there are plenty of motorcycle only spaces (meter) or not-street yet not-sidewalk-either places (free) that you can park so it isn't an issue. FYI in no cases is there something to lock your vehicle to except itself.

From a pedestrian perspective I can see how they want to discourage 'sidewalk' parking, but seeing as sidewalk is part 'right of way' and part 'private property' I think instead of reading an article online, it is best to actually see the language of the ordinances that there is an issue with, because it may be a big journalistic hullabaloo but its just poor reading comprehension and there may not be as big an issue as they make it.

In short, from what I read, the state can go ahead and require the registrations since they do not handle local parking, and it is a way to get some more revenue (admittedly small).
In response the local municipal committees and departments that oversee parking should amend their local ordinances to change the definitions of what they will and will not allow.

Seth

I'll see you there! I'll be there bright and early tomorrow morning. This is open to all. It'd be great to get some motorcycles there too, since this issue impacts all riders. I tried, but my friends would rather work

I will be there

I'll be there 6:45 in the >50cc section....

I saw this posting over at another site http://scooterup.eventbrite.com/

It may have been covered here but in case not... here it is.

I'm not sure I will be parking on the sidewalk outside the statehouse. I feel annoying the powers-that-be by parking on the sidewalk is not a good way to argue we should be allowed to park on the sidewalk. I think taking up the street parking with the larger scoots is the best way to show that we should be allowed on the sidewalk. I'll probably take up a spot on the street to plug the "look how much you don't want me parking on the street" stance

Regardless, I will be there tomorrow morning!

Well today's protest was alright. The organizer sent the 50cc scoots to park on the sidewalk outside the statehouse, and had the larger scoots take up the street parking. I disliked this for two reasons:
1) parking a lot of scooters on the sidewalk and pissing the authorities off seems a pretty odd way to argue scooters should be allowed to park on the sidewalk
2) it took scoots away from the street protest, which I felt was the more effective method (to demonstrate how terrible parking is for others when all the scoots have to park on the street, one to a spot)

Nevertheless, we got the transportation commissioner to come out and talk. We also saw a lot of enraged car drivers, who were not pleased to lose Escalade parking to a "moped." One car tried to double park, arguing that the scoot didn't push him out too far from the curb. Yeah... we put a stop to that...

At one point, a meter-maid from the Boston Transportation Authority came by, and asked us about the protest. It turns out she was totally turned around on the new laws herself, and we had to explain it all to her . She was actually SUPER nice, however, and once she understood what the laws were before, are becoming, and how we would like them to be, she heartily supported us. As she jokingly said "I don't want to walk up and down this street all day ticketing you guys TOO!" She took the time to chat with each of us and check out all our scoots. Very nice lady, wish her bosses were as interested in our needs.

Here are some crummy cell phone pictures

i Swung by to early i guess (6:40), I didnt see anybody there.... then I was off to work

Sad i couldnt stand there with you guys...