San Diego State announced a ban on all electric or motorized bicycles, scooters and skateboards on campus just ahead of the start of the fall semester.
A campus-wide email issued by Parking and Transportation Services on Aug. 19 detailed the policy change, which bans all electric or motorized alternative transportation devices operated on campus, outside of eight “designated parking areas.”
“Students will be able to use the alternative transportation source to commute to and from campus, but they are not permitted to operate such devices within university grounds,” the email said.
For students using shared mobility devices, like a Bird or Lime, the ban will be enforced partially through the use of geofencing, which will alert riders before they enter a campus “no-ride” zone. Such mobility devices will be slowed significantly should they enter the campus zone, and riders will be required to park the device in designated parking areas. If riders don’t dismount, they will not be able to end their ride and will be subject to an added fee or citation, according to the email.
Those with personal mobility devices will be required by the new policy to power down their devices once on campus or face a $75 citation.
The email also said the new policy does not affect non-motorized bicycles, scooters or skateboards — devices that must still be operated in bike lanes or curbed campus roadways.
Chemistry freshman Ashley Hall said she doesn’t see a problem with mobility devices on campus as long as riders are being respectful by keeping them out of the way of others.
“Some classes are pretty far apart, so I feel that’s something that’s convenient and really useful for a student to ride to and from class,” Hall said.
Hospitality and tourism management junior Justin Tyler Flores said he understands why the school decided to implement this new rule, but the ease of getting from one place to another trumps the need for a ban.
“Honestly, I think they’re pretty fun and get you place-to-place really easy,” Tyler Flores said. “I understand where they’re coming from cause scooters coming through even just right here, next to the dorms, people go really fast and people step in and then they could hit each other.”
The new regulations on electric or motorized mobility devices on campus comes amid additional changes to parking and transportation policies. Earlier this summer, Parking and Transportation Services announced it would cease issuing physical parking permits for campus commuters and visitors, opting for a virtual vehicle registration system to verify valid permits by license plates.
