Pitt bans e-scooters from being parked or stored on university property

PITTSBURGH — With Pitt students returning to campus in less than two weeks, the university is implementing a new policy banning electric scooters from being parked or stored on all university property.

Students who violate the policy could face a $100 fine for a first offense, a $200 fine for a second offense and possible impoundment of their scooter.

The policy is getting mixed reactions from people who use e-scooters to get around.

“I ride my e-scooter to get back and forth to work. I don’t think they should be banned,” Derryll Bishop said.

“I use them all the time. I just like driving around,” Onyx Goodman said.

Lou Miraglia said he supports Pitt’s decision.

“I kinda agree with the University of Pittsburgh. I think there needs to be some control over the electric bike, especially the scooters. The scooters are horrible,” Miraglia said.

Some students also misunderstood the new policy, believing Pitt was banning them from riding e-scooters altogether.

“Probably going to have to walk a lot,” one student said.

“Do not do that, university. Do not take our scooters away,” another said.

But Pitt’s new policy specifically addresses where e-scooters can be parked or stored on university property. Under current state law, they already aren’t legally authorized for operation on public roads or sidewalks.

Pitt already prohibits lithium-battery-powered mobility devices, including scooters, skateboards and bikes, in on-campus housing. The new policy extends that prohibition to all university property.

Some bicyclists said they welcomed the change.

“I think the e-scooters probably take up too much space,” Zoltan Nemeth said.

The debate over e-scooters extends beyond Pitt’s campus.

State Rep. Joseph McAndrew, D-Allegheny, is proposing legislation aimed at creating clearer rules for e-scooters, including establishing a legal definition for the devices.

McAndrew said Pennsylvania currently does not track e-scooter crashes using the same metrics as e-bike crashes because e-scooters are not defined in state law in the same way.

“The reality is, last year there was 435 incidents of vehicle crashes involving e-bikes and 12 deaths. We know that data because e-scooters are defined. Because e-scooters aren’t defined, we haven’t tracked it in the same metrics,” McAndrew said.

His proposal would establish a definition for e-scooters and set parameters for the use of e-scooters and e-bikes on high-speed corridors.

“It would have a definition for e-scooters, which is a priority. It would also put parameters around the use of e-scooters and e-bikes on high-speed corridors,” McAndrew said.

McAndrew’s proposal would also prohibit anyone under 16 from riding e-scooters on state highways and roads.

The legislation is part of a broader debate in Pennsylvania over how electric scooters should be regulated as their use continues to grow.

Pitt, meanwhile, encourages students to use e-bikes as an alternative and provides students with free access to POGOH bikes for 30 minutes.

“When I’m trying to go from neighborhood to neighborhood, I jump on an e-bike. Or sometimes my friends like to call it going acoustic — take the normal one,” Zoltan Nemeth said.

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