Scooting through traffic

By Julie Bengston Sweet
Special to The Times

Seventy miles to the gallon. Top speed of 50 miles per hour. Free parking almost anywhere. In a city with one of the worst traffic problems in the country, it is a wonder why scooters, or mopeds, are not a more popular alternative in Seattle's daily commute.

While the Legislature and voters discuss monorail, light rail and other transportation options, and hours of meetings get us only inches closer to new plans that will take 10 years, at least, to show results, scooters are providing a transportation solution right now.

More fuel-efficient than a car or motorcycle, less hair-raising and exhausting than riding a bicycle, scooters are a fun, affordable and convenient way to get around, rain or shine. Yet, even in the best weather, you don't see many scooters in this gridlocked region.

If more people parked their cars in the driveway and scootered to work each day, there would be a tremendous relief in congestion. And the scooters' small size would reduce parking problems and the need to continually create more garages and parking lots.

I began scootering to the office more than three years ago. My commute began on Queen Anne, and totaled about three miles each way. Before moving to Bremerton this year, I upgraded to a scooter with a larger engine and incorporated it into a most painless ferry commute. Getting to and from the ferry is a snap, and I'm able to load and unload my scooter first, along with the bicycles and motorcycles.

While the cost is slightly more than walking on to the ferry (about $62 more per month), it is much less expensive than driving a car each day (about $163 less).

Depending upon your luck in finding a bargain, you can expect to spend about $2,000 for a scooter with an 80cc engine (top speed of 50 miles per hour); slightly less for a 50cc (top speed of 35 miles per hour).

My first 50cc scooter, which I bought used, cost me $500. My 80cc scooter, slightly used, cost $1,900. And I was able to recoup $400 on a trade-in. Try getting as good a deal on a four-wheel ride.

There are obvious drawbacks. If you have an unavoidable highway commute, or are dropping off children on the way to work, a scooter is probably not in your future. But if you live relatively close to work, and have a spirit of adventure, a scooter is a low-cost, efficient option. With a removable storage trunk, you can still stop at the market for a bag or two of groceries and scooter them home easily.

There is also the benefit of being part of the motorcycle community. While it's true the scooter driver must endure a certain amount of ribbing from motorcyclists — more than once I've heard the question, "Is it going to grow up to be a motorcycle?" — the scooter is the annoying kid brother of the Harley aficionados.

There is also shared respect in spite of the power gap, as both scooter and motorcycle riders weather the same elements with only a helmet, and face the same hazards of downtown traffic.

Your big brother on the Harley would also remind you of the importance of safety classes. Available through the Department of Licensing (www.dol.wa.gov/ds/wmsp.htm), safety classes are an indispensable way to familiarize yourself with the benefits and dangers of being a commuter on two wheels.

Whether it's sizing up cars on the road, or learning how to drive safely in the rain, your safety instructor will guide you through important skills. Expect to spend about $100 for the class. Though a motorcycle endorsement from the Department of Licensing is not required for those who drive a moped, you must have a valid driver's license.

Perhaps it's time we take a clue from scooter-sophisticated cities like Rome and Hong Kong, and turn the Harley's little brother into the more popular kid on the block.