Local News Briefs

Venice City Council To Consider

Banning Segways From Boardwalk

The Venice City Council will consider banning Segways from the boardwalk after the city's transportation committee Wednesday supported the ordinance.

The two-wheeled, electric vehicles, which is operated with the user standing upright, have reportedly caused several accidents on the boardwalk.

"A lot of folks have begun to use Segways to get around on the boardwalk and it's just too damn crowded and the cops have been reporting a lot

of accidents," Councilman Mike Bonin, the committee's chair, told Video News West.

Segways are allowed on the boardwalk even though bicycles are not.

Bonin says Segways won't be completely banned from the areas around Venice Beach, they would just be relegated to a bike path.

"It is an increasingly popular way for people who are looking for an environmentally friendly way to get to work," Bonin said.

LAX to Expand FlyAway Bus service to SM and Hollywood

The L.A. Board of Airport Commissioners voted Monday to expand FlyAway buses that serve Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, Van Nuys, Westwood and the La Brea stop on the Expo Line. The idea is to give fliers the option of using public transit and relieve congestion at the airport.

Santa Monica service will pick up passengers on Main Street north of Pico Boulevard at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. It is scheduled to begin July 15.

In Hollywood, passengers will be picked up on the east side of Vine Street a half a block from Hollywood Boulevard. The new service is expected to start in mid-September. This bus also will stop at the La Brea Station of the Expo Line.

FlyAway buses served almost 1.5 million passengers last year, according to the airport.

New FlyAway options come as L.A. grapples with bringing a rail option to LAX. An MTA report this month proposes a $1.7-billion project to bring a train and new light-rail station to the airport. The current Green Line rail option takes passengers 1-1/2 miles short of the airport and requires fliers to hop a shuttle bus to complete the trip.