Aurora unveils new tool in battle against parking scofflaws

On his best day, Aurora parking meter attendant Greg Ratiu tagged 96 parking scofflaws at the city's 600 downtown meters.

Next week, when he begins his route on his new Segway Personal Transporter, he said he hopes to be even more efficient.

Several city officials gathered outside city hall Thursday afternoon to watch Ratiu model his new mode of transportation.

The battery-powered Segways will replace three-wheeled, gas-powered, covered scooters that currently are used for parking enforcement.

"The scooters are just like a small car so I pull up, get out of the scooter, walk around the car to check permits and the meter and then issue any tickets," Ratiu said. "On the Segway I can roll up on the sidewalk, without blocking traffic, and have a clear view of everything I need to see within seconds."

Aside from improving Ratiu's productivity, Fleet Operations Director Joe Hopp said the switch from the scooter is both an environmentally friendly and cost-saving move.

The scooters cost about $25,000 each, not including gas and maintenance, Anderson said. The city's new battery-operated Segway costs $6,000 and can be recharged in six hours by using common electrical outlets.

"We'll be evaluating this and seeing what other job functions it can help out with," Hopp said. "Right now, the Segway is the first vehicle in the fleet (with a) carbon footprint (that) has been reduced to zero. You can't be much more green than that."

It will be left to Ratiu's discretion whether the weather conditions warrant using the covered scooter, but he anticipates he'll be on the Segway most days.

Segway of Chicago President James Reynolds said the unit can be used in a light snow but warned it can slip, "just like your feet," on surfaces such as ice and rain-slicked sidewalks.

Assistant Director for Neighborhood Standards Mark Anderson said the city plans to add a second Segway in July when a second meter attendant is expected to be hired. At that point, he said, the units also will fill a public relations role within the city.

"When people see these things in the city, we expect there to be a bit of an awe factor and that people will want to see them and interact with (Ratiu) and learn more about him and what he does," Anderson said.

Ratiu doesn't expect the honeymoon to last very long.

"At first I'm sure people will be curious but in the end I'm pretty sure they'll still see me as the guy giving them a ticket."