Segway Squad

Following a series of Segway pilot tests in other Canadian cities, the town of Sylvan Lake Alberta is loosening up laws restricting them the space age vehicles to private property.

1 minute read

July 16, 2008, 9:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"Alberta is loosening its rules surrounding the use of Segways, the two-wheeled personal transporters first introduced to the world in 2001. A small RCMP detachment in Sylvan Lake, a resort town, is even expected to become the first police agency in Canada to use Segways permanently.

Across Canada, it's illegal to drive the electric vehicles - which have a top speed of 20 kilometres an hour - off private property.

However, in Alberta, the Progressive Conservative government is now allowing emergency personnel, such as police officers, to apply for permits to use the machines to travel on public areas such as sidewalks and trails.

According to Alberta transportation ministry spokesman Jerry Bellikka, if that project works well, the government will start considering, as early as this fall, to look at 'opening it up' to the general public."

Friday, July 11, 2008 in The Globe & Mail

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

5 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

7 hours ago - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive