Campus scooter parking expands, enforcement to toughen

Scooter drivers at UW–Madison will find new, designated parking areas in the heart of campus when the academic year begins, and parking outside of those areas could result in $40 fines, officials say.

The new parking system was created in response to the proliferation of the motorized two-wheelers and the need for scooters to coexist safely with pedestrians on a bustling campus.

"When we had 10 or 100 mopeds on campus, it was fine to have no real rules," says Rob Kennedy, senior transportation planner. "But now we have 1,000 scooter drivers on campus and, at any one time, 600 are parked on campus."

In an effort to reduce the number of pedestrian-scooter conflicts on campus sidewalks and to improve safety, officials are creating 665 marked moped parking spaces scattered in about 25 areas. Previously, there were about 100 marked scooter parking spaces on campus.

Officials have also reorganized some bicycle parking, to keep bikes and scooters separate, and are working to provide curb cuts to accommodate scooter access to the new parking areas. The new facilities will be phased in during the early part of the semester.

"In 2003, there were 35 injury-producing moped accidents in the city, and almost all were on campus," says Kennedy. "We hope the new parking set-up will provide a safer environment for pedestrians and scooter drivers."

For the first few weeks, parking enforcement workers will issue warning tickets for scooters parked outside of the new areas. After that initial period, however, scooters parked outside of those areas will be issued $40 citations.

"We're treating moped parking like a regular motor vehicle," says Kennedy. "You wouldn't expect a car to drive on the sidewalk. You won't be able to park at the front door of your destination in all cases. People may have to walk a block or so under the new system, but that's normal for a motorized vehicle on this campus."

For instance, a popular scooter parking area between Bascom Hall and Ingraham Hall has been eliminated, but more marked parking spaces will be provided in front of the Social Science Building and in adjacent Lot 25.

And, parking at Helen C. White Hall was expanded from 70 spaces to about 120.

The Enhanced Moped Parking Zone is bounded roughly by Lake Mendota on the north, Dayton and Monroe streets on the south, Lake Street on the east and Breese Terrace and Babcock Drive on the west. Signs will be erected throughout the fall showing where scooters can be parked and concrete work will also continue for a few weeks to provide curb cuts designed for the scooters.

A map showing the new parking areas is available at http://www.news.wisc.edu/news/images/mopedmap.gif.

The new regulations, however, will not apply at university residence halls.

Several simple rules can make life easier for scooter drivers on campus, such as:

• Park only in individual marked stalls.
• Use specifically designed and marked moped drive ramps.
• Yield to pedestrians when crossing sidewalks.
• Obey all traffic laws like all other motor vehicles.
• Do not park at bike racks or on sidewalks.
• Do not drive down sidewalks to get to a parking stall or use wheelchair ramps at intersections.

Kennedy noted that moving violations can cost scooter drivers $180 or more.