University Police will begin cracking down on motorized scooter riders who drive on Paint Branch Trail after DOTS officials received an increasing number of reckless driving complaints this semester.
According to Department of Transportation Services Assistant Director Beverly Malone, Paint Branch Trail users have reported aggressive scooter driving cases, including a collision and several near-misses, to the department. Although University Police officers have always patrolled the area — which connects the campus and the University View and Varsity apartment buildings by Lot 11 — they began stepping up regulation this semester after DOTS officials informed them of the increase in complaints.
"It's a violation of [state] law," University Police spokesman Capt. Marc Limansky said. "Some of the scooters go pretty fast, so if somebody gets hit by that, it could really do some damage."
These violations prompted DOTS officials to install seven signs, which state that scooters are prohibited from driving there, on Paint Branch Trail and in surrounding areas several weeks ago. But officials didn't see a decrease in complaints, so officers will soon patrol the area more heavily to inform scooter drivers who weren't aware of the policy, Limansky said.
Officers will stop scooters and inform them of the policy for now, but will start issuing fines if they catch repeat offenders in the coming weeks.
"If time goes by and behavior continues, we'll begin issuing citations," Limansky said. "When new signs are put up, it's better to take the educational approach."
Violators will be charged about $70 a citation and receive one point on their license, Limansky said.
According to Malone, the policy should not come as a surprise — those who registered a scooter to park on the campus were informed of it via email. Malone also noted that scooter drivers are also prohibited from driving on sidewalks.
She said she believes many scooter riders flout the law because they don't think it's legitimate, or they may simply disagree with the policy.
"I think a lot of scooter owners don't believe us and they think it's just DOTS pulling something out of the air," Malone said. "A lot of people just don't agree. … It has nothing to do with my opinion, it's just the law."
Limansky said some scooter riders knowingly drive on the trail because it provides a faster route to their destination.
"It could be a matter of convenience — they might know the law and say ‘Well, I'm going to do it, anyway,'" he said.
Some scooter riders said while the policy is inconvenient, they understand the influx of complaints.
"I got to be honest. It's reasonable that we shouldn't be driving on there," said junior information systems and finance major Brandon Carrera, who drives a motorized scooter. "I could definitely see some scooter riders being reckless and putting others in danger."
Carrera said he won't risk getting a citation.
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