Electric scooters, hoverboards, Segways, and any other personal mobility devices (PMDs) have been banned from use on RMU properties. This ban includes all RMU properties, including Yorktown and the Island Sports Center. The ban notice, which was announced in an email blast to students under “Campus Safety” points the ban towards safety concerns.

The new campus regulations quote Pennsylvania Law, specifically the clause from PennDOT that classifies Electric Scooters as “motor-driven cycles”, which puts them under state-mandated registration and inspection requirements.

Due to the fact that most Electric Scooters would not meet these requirements, they cannot legally be operated on public roads and sidewalks, including roadways and sidewalks on RMU campus.

Electric bikes (E-bikes) and any devices with documented need are still permitted for use on campus. E-bikes cannot be stored or charged in university facilities.

Many other universities have put similar bans into place. Boston College, Columbiana University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, and the University of Maryland all have banned electric scooters and other micro-mobility devices. Columbiana University and Fordham University both put their bans into place in relation to battery fires and fire safety concerns.

Due to the natural design of RMU’s campus, some buildings are not easily accessible by car, with buildings such as Hale, John Jay, and the Franklin Center being rather land-locked.

So, for now, students will be transporting campus sidewalks on foot. Whether seen as a safety measure or a setback, the scooter ban marks a new pace for campus life.