An increasingly popular way for people to travel around cities is the use of motorized scooters, now made more accessible by brands like Lime. Some Marquette students use these motorized scooters to travel around campus and the greater Milwaukee area.
On Oct. 16, Marquette Today published “Reminder: Motorized scooters prohibited on campus property.” Even though this article was published a month ago, Limes are still at large.
Students had opinions about this prohibition and took to the anonymous social media app YikYak to share them. One post said, “Give me Lime or give me death,” with a picture of Patrick Henry and the founding fathers.
The Marquette Today article specifically said that personal motorized vehicles are not to be used on campus, which does not cover Milwaukee public property.
“This policy also applies to other personal motorized vehicles, including but not limited to electric bicycles, electric skateboards, hoverboards, Segways and mopeds. This does not include any devices necessary for people with mobility, circulatory, respiratory or neurological disabilities,” the article said.
Some students use motorized scooters to ride down Wisconsin Avenue, which is not technically a part of Marquette’s campus.
“No bicycle or electric scooter shall be operated upon any public sidewalk, any pedestrian path in the public parks, or upon any public school grounds or public playgrounds,” The City of Milwaukee said in the Marquette Today article.
The article also said that riders must not park scooters in a way that blocks walkways or disability ramps and reminded where riders are to park their Lime scooters as designated online in high-traffic areas. High-traffic areas in Milwaukee are the Historic Third Ward, Brady Street, North Avenue and South Shore Park.
The Office of Residence Life prohibits parking electric vehicles in university-owned housing, including residence halls.
“MUPD and the Milwaukee Department of Public Works may impound any motorized scooter left unattended on university property,” The article said in its conclusion.
The article mentions that improper use of scooters can result in a fine of $86.20 from the Marquette University Police Department.
Edith Hudson, chief of MUPD, said that this year MUPD has yet to issue any citations for misuse of motorized scooters.
“While the university policy applies to campus property only, officers have the discretion to issue citations as they deem appropriate in enforcing the city ordinances noted in the Marquette Today article for operating motorized vehicles on city sidewalks,” Hudson said in an email.
Hudson said that the Marquette Today article was likely not inspired by the reckless operation of scooters because MUPD hasn’t received complaints on the subject.
“The reminder of the campus policy was more related to the improper storage of scooters, which have been blocking walkways and decreasing accessibility in public spaces,” Hudson said in an email. “It is also particularly timely as Lime recently installed docking spaces for its scooters throughout the city.”
Hudson said that MUPD is not increasing security around campus to target Lime users, but rather that all members of the Marquette community should respect the ordinances of traffic laws.
Students on several athletic teams have been observed using personal motorized scooters to transport themselves around campus.
Kevin Conway, associate director of university communication, said student–athletes are not provided with these scooters and purchase them themselves. The same rules are subject to the stated policy regarding motorized scooters on campus.
Lime scooters and other motorized personal vehicles are still able to be used properly on Wisconsin Avenue, they just must not be used on sidewalks, parked on sidewalks or stored in university-owned housing.
The Marquette community has seen the continued use of Lime scooters since the article was published and likely will for time to come so long as they are used in ordinances with Milwaukee traffic laws.
This story was written by Ellie Golko. She can be reached at [email protected].
