samagon Posted January 5, 2021 Author Share Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) On 1/3/2021 at 2:13 PM, hindesky said: Basically anything that has wheels (except wheelchairs and kids strollers) are not allowed. I still ride in on occasion and see little kids of their little push scooters. I had mentioned this in the downtown thread for DG, but I'm quite shocked that someone in authority from DG hasn't removed those speed bumps yet for fear of safety. considering that is not the intended use of those things it is a lawsuit in waiting. I imagine even if someone faceplanted off of one of those on a scooter that person would have a very strong court case. as far as riding bikes through DG, I've never gotten off my bike. as long as their security dudes are riding on bikes, I'm not going to hop off and walk my bike. granted, if I were to run someone over, that would probably be no good for me, so I exercise pretty extreme caution. Edited January 5, 2021 by samagon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) I honestly can't imagine that they are ADA accessible. Edit: I emailed Gabe at the Mayor's office for people with disabilities to get his thoughts. Edit2: Gabe said that his team would investigate for any ADA issues. Edited January 7, 2021 by wilcal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefmonkey Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 Good for you, wilcal, I understand that scooters may have become a nuisance in Discovery Green, but blocking off access to a public park for people in wheelchairs is simply not an acceptable solution. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 The people that were running the scooter rental at Discovery Green have moved to.... Buffalo Bayou Park. The one other place that they are specifically excluded, lol. There is a scooter shop in EaDo, and it looks to be them that are renting them. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Man, honestly don't know what to make of the no biking sign in DG... I love riding my bike through there, as long as there aren't a lot of people. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 On 1/17/2021 at 10:02 PM, Triton said: Man, honestly don't know what to make of the no biking sign in DG... I love riding my bike through there, as long as there aren't a lot of people. I don't see how the security guards they employ can enforce the rule, seeing as they are on bikes as well. my guess is it's a step to try and resolve themselves of any liability should there be a bike/ped accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 9 minutes ago, samagon said: I don't see how the security guards they employ can enforce the rule, seeing as they are on bikes as well. my guess is it's a step to try and resolve themselves of any liability should there be a bike/ped accident. It is a private park so they can do just about whatever they want. Same reason why Buffalo Bayou Park Conservancy can drive gas-powered golf carts around while they are banned for the general public. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 (edited) On 1/19/2021 at 9:23 AM, wilcal said: It is a private park so they can do just about whatever they want. Same reason why Buffalo Bayou Park Conservancy can drive gas-powered golf carts around while they are banned for the general public. the city owns the land, it is managed by a private partnership. https://www.discoverygreen.com/history-of-discovery-green#:~:text=Discovery Green exemplifies a successful,operates and maintains the park. Quote The City of Houston acquired a portion of the land in 2002. When the rest of the property went up for sale, a group of philanthropists led by Maconda Brown O’Connor of the Brown Foundation, and Nancy G. Kinder of the Kinder Foundation approached then-Mayor Bill White with their idea of turning the space into an urban park. The Mayor agreed and became a strong advocate of a public-private partnership. Several other philanthropic foundations joined the effort, including the Wortham Foundation and the Houston Endowment, Inc. The City of Houston purchased the remainder of the land in 2004 and created the framework for the park’s construction and operations, including the role of the new organization, Discovery Green Conservancy, incorporated in 2004... it is a public park, public land at least. not that it makes a difference in the context of what the security guards can/can't do to people riding scooters, or bicycles, but I'm fairly confident that the rules exist to make it harder for a person to take legal action against the conservancy should a cyclist run over a kid. anyway, I've been riding my bike in and around discogreen since it opened and I've never had a security guard approach me about riding through the park, and there have been plenty of opportunities for them to do so. I have had a security guard approach me about taking photos in the park with my phone, which he said I wasn't allowed to do. which is where the distinction of public land is important, even if it is managed by a private party. I stopped, but I told him he should ask his manager for better guidance on how to not violate the constitution. this was very early in the parks life, and I haven't been approached since. I doubt my experience was what had them adjust their enforcement. I'm sure someone else took a bit more of an aggressive response than I did. Edited January 20, 2021 by samagon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, samagon said: the city owns the land, it is managed by a private partnership. https://www.discoverygreen.com/history-of-discovery-green#:~:text=Discovery Green exemplifies a successful,operates and maintains the park. it is a public park, public land at least. not that it makes a difference in the context of what the security guards can/can't do to people riding scooters, or bicycles, but I'm fairly confident that the rules exist to make it harder for a person to take legal action against the conservancy should a cyclist run over a kid. anyway, I've been riding my bike in and around discogreen since it opened and I've never had a security guard approach me about riding through the park, and there have been plenty of opportunities for them to do so. I have had a security guard approach me about taking photos in the park with my phone, which he said I wasn't allowed to do. which is where the distinction of public land is important, even if it is managed by a private party. I stopped, but I told him he should ask his manager for better guidance on how to not violate the constitution. this was very early in the parks life, and I haven't been approached since. I doubt my experience was what had them adjust their enforcement. I'm sure someone else took a bit more of an aggressive response than I did. NRG Stadium, Minute Maid, BBVA Stadium, etc are all on public land but they are still private entities that have control of them and do have the ability to limit your constitutional rights. Same thing with the Zoo, or private events at GRB, and so on. Edited January 21, 2021 by wilcal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedistrict84 Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 (edited) https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/03/23/electronic-scooters-could-soon-be-banned-from-houston-sidewalks/ Article regarding proposed amendments to City ordinances targeting scooters. Article hints at but doesn’t really explicitly say that the proposed amendments are intended to treat scooters the same as bicycles—especially Chapter 45, which already bans bicycle use on sidewalks in “business districts” (i.e., practically all of downtown, Midtown, and most major streets through Montrose, The Heights, the East End, etc.). Edited March 24, 2021 by thedistrict84 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted March 24, 2021 Author Share Posted March 24, 2021 59 minutes ago, thedistrict84 said: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/03/23/electronic-scooters-could-soon-be-banned-from-houston-sidewalks/ Article regarding proposed amendments to City ordinances targeting scooters. Article hints at but doesn’t really explicitly say that the proposed amendments are intended to treat scooters the same as bicycles—especially Chapter 45, which already bans bicycle use on sidewalks in “business districts” (i.e., practically all of downtown, Midtown, and most major streets through Montrose, The Heights, the East End, etc.). good for them. I hope the city continues to promote safe alternatives for people that aren't walking, or in cars. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerNut Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Went bike riding downtown yesterday and there were scooters everywhere. I saw several electric scooter rental places setup in parking lots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerNut Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 I rode these in Seattle last week. Were more comfortable for longer rides than the scooters. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pokemonizepic Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 On 8/23/2021 at 2:29 PM, BeerNut said: I rode these in Seattle last week. Were more comfortable for longer rides than the scooters. they have these in austin as well, they're amazing 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 Yep, they are WAY more stable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted August 24, 2021 Author Share Posted August 24, 2021 lower center of gravity + bigger wheels. both wins for stability. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 I'm tempted to try one of those but being 6'3 I'd look and feel pretty awkward on haha. I use the Link scooters, they have a wider base and larger wheels than Limes which makes them more durable. Also brakes on both sides. Uber JUMP electric bikes are also a great option. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 25, 2021 Share Posted August 25, 2021 17 hours ago, Urbannizer said: I'm tempted to try one of those but being 6'3 I'd look and feel pretty awkward on haha. I use the Link scooters, they have a wider base and larger wheels than Limes which makes them more durable. Also brakes on both sides. Uber JUMP electric bikes are also a great option. Who cares what you look like as along as you have fun. I'm tempted to buy one and scoot around the east end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amlaham Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 I rode the electric scooters in downtown last weekend with my friends and it was honestly very fun. The streets were way more lively than normal. The scooters also were VERY prevalent in downtown. If you drive around at night on the weekend, you'll be sure to spot at least 20+ scooters. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adr Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 5 minutes ago, Amlaham said: I rode the electric scooters in downtown last weekend with my friends and it was honestly very fun. The streets were way more lively than normal. The scooters also were VERY prevalent in downtown. If you drive around at night on the weekend, you'll be sure to spot at least 20+ scooters. Glad you had fun in Downtown. It's a great neighborhood in the evenings whatever your interests. My advice to anyone riding these downtown is to mind the one-way nature of the street-grid, and keep your head on a swivel for the cars (I see them daily) going the wrong way down streets - they cannot see the traffic lights (none are pointed towards wrong-way drivers) and they absolutely blow through intersections at full speed. Have fun and be safe! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 I was downtown on Saturday night and watched an HPD officer in an explorer chasing a guy on a scooter the wrong way up one-way streets. The guy on a scooter said he was being chased because he was riding on the sidewalk. ...he was not apprehended lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted August 31, 2021 Author Share Posted August 31, 2021 they clearly need the mounted police back in downtown. I have a vision of a guy on a scooter riding as fast as possible, and then a few seconds after that a mounted officer chasing at full speed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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