The next time a University Park building requires quick repairs, help may be just a Segway away.

About a week ago, the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) added seven Segway Human Transporters to its fleet of vehicles. A Segway is a two-wheeled, gyroscopically balanced electric scooter. A built-in computer helps keep the machine upright. Stationed among the area services maintenance groups, the Segways are being called into action to help get OPP employees to work sites quickly and efficiently. Eventually the Segways may replace some of the OPP vans, a move that frees up parking spaces and cuts down on automobile emissions.

Gary Smith is a grade 4 mechanic who works out of Engineering Unit B. He uses a Segway to shuttle from building to building working on heating/cooling leaks and maintenance. "I really like it," he said. "You don't have to worry about finding a parking space. Your walk time is cut in half."

Indeed, one can park 12 of the energy-efficient, ecologically friendly Segways in a regular automobile parking space, according to Paul Ruskin, coordinator of communications and public affairs, who worked to bring the Segways to OPP. "As soon as I found out about them, I briefed OPP and said this is something we should have," Ruskin said.

When OPP officials examined a Segway at the Energy Expo at The Bryce Jordan Center last spring, they could see it had potential transportation applications. They contacted the Segway manufacturer, which provided a list of about a dozen other universities that were using the machines for public safety, parking and facilities maintenance applications.

"Universally, the comments we received were very positive, very supportive of using them," said Phillip R. Melnick, assistant director of operations. OPP got a test model to study for a month and after weighing employee feedback, decided to go ahead with ordering seven.

At about $4,800 a piece, these industrial-grade Segways do not come cheap, but Melnick said that the models will substantially save time and cut traffic congestion on campus. Since the Segways have saddle bags that carry 60 pounds of tools, employees won't need to take the maintenance vans to work sites. "If we use them 200 days a year and save a half-hour of travel time a day, they will pay for themselves in less than two years," Melnick said.

With 771 buildings, a core campus acreage of 5,000 acres, a maze of access roads, green swards and construction zones, traveling through University Park can be time consuming. Melnick noted that it's a 30-minute walk from OPP headquarters on Park Avenue to Rec Hall. It takes 10 minutes on a Segway. For the area maintenance services groups that work in the zone from Willard Building to West Campus, the Segways allow them to avoid traffic and move quickly through the IST Building bridge to jobs in the far reaches of campus.

In addition to transporting people and cargo quickly, the electric, battery-powered machines cost only pennies to operate. "It costs about 10 cents to completely charge one of these," Ruskin said, adding that the manufacturer had estimated that Segways have a travel equivalency of about 450 miles per gallon.

"Other than walking, there's no other option that is more environmentally friendly than this," Melnick said.

On the down side, Segways are not designed to work in bad weather, so when a nor'easter strikes, the Segways are out of commission. Melnick estimated that the Segways would be in operation about nine months of the year. "As long as roads and sidewalks are clear of ice and snow, it's usable," he said.

All employees who use the Segways attended training sessions on safely operating the scooters, which can travel up to 15 mph and turn on a dime. The machines are operated via an electromagnetic key system.

Segways do not require registration with University Police Services, according to supervisor Clifford Lutz. The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code classifies Segways as electronic personal assistive mobility devices. Segways fall under the same restrictions and regulations that govern bikes, he said. Across College Avenue in State College Borough, Segways are banned from use on sidewalks in the downtown area due to the constricted pedestrian traffic, according to borough police Officer Tony Lopinsky.

When Smith first took his Segway to a job, he said he got some funny looks from passersby, but after a week in operation, the interest is dying down. "People are getting used to it," he said.

For photos of the new Segways, go to http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2004_11_11_segway/index.html