Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Policy
statement and purpose
Bowling Green state university recognizes that students,
faculty, and staff use a variety of means of transportation on campus. Although
personal choice is important, the university must consider the safety and
well-being of the campus community and visitors, as well as the preservation of
university property. In an effort to balance the concern for safety with the
use of various modes of transportation on campus, the university has issued
this policy regarding the use of bicycles, scooters, and other personal conveyance vehicles on
campus.
(B)
Policy definitions
(1)
Personal
conveyance vehicle
A vehicle that is powered by the
individual rider, by motor, or by batteries and that may be lawfully operated
on sidewalks. These include, but are not limited to, bicycles, scooters,
motorized scooters, mopeds, segways, roller blades/skates, skateboards,
motorized skateboards, self-balancing scooters (hoverboards), and other similar
wheeled devices.
(2)
University property
Buildings, grounds, and land owned by
Bowling Green state university or controlled by Bowling Green state university
via lease or other contractual agreement.
(C) Policy scope
(1) This policy applies to all use of
personal
conveyance vehicles in and on university property.
(2) This policy does not apply to:
(a) Wheelchairs and other personal mobility
devices as defined by the ADA.
(b)
Personal conveyance vehicles operated by the BGSU police, BGSU campus operations, or Bowling Green city
police.
(c) Specifically approved
or university sanctioned events involving personal conveyance
vehicles.
(D)
Policy
The following requirements govern the use of personal
conveyance vehicles on university property.
(1)
Personal
conveyance vehicles shall not be ridden in the following locations:
(a) Within any university building.
(b) On any ramp established for the use of
persons with disabilities.
(c) On
any stairs, stairways, landings, loading docks, handrails, or other raised
surfaces such as ledges and parking curbs.
(d) On university structures, including but
not limited to benches, column bases, walls, artwork, and sculptures.
(2) Riders shall
obey all traffic signs and signals and operate at
a safe speed.
Riders shall yield to pedestrians at all
times. Reckless or negligent operation of personal conveyance vehicles is
prohibited and such vehicles shall not be used for
racing, stunting, or trick riding.
(3) Personal conveyance vehicles
must be parked in a
manner which does not obstruct any sidewalk, street, path, or other routes of
pedestrian or vehicle traffic. Bicycles and motorized
scooters must be parked in provided bike racks or designated parking areas and
must not be parked on lawns or sidewalks.
(4)
Personal conveyance vehicles
must
not be locked to trees or other landscaping, poles, signs, light fixtures,
benches, fences, handrails, trash receptacles, pipes, fire hydrants, building
fire connection equipment, or other fixtures.
(5)
Motorized
personal conveyance vehicles, including electric scooters and hoverboards, are
not permitted to be stored or charged in residence halls or other university
buildings.
(6)
Per Ohio law, when operating a motorized personal
conveyance vehicle after dark, the device or the operator must be equipped with
or wearing both of the following:
(a)
A lamp pointing to the front that emits a white light
visible from a distance of not less than five hundred feet; and
(b)
A red reflector
facing the rear that is visible from all distances from one hundred feet to six
hundred feet when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a
motor vehicle.
(7)
When operating a personal conveyance vehicle on or off
university property, riders must follow all city ordinances and state
laws.
(8) The operator of
a personal conveyance
vehicle is
liable for any
injury or damage resulting from the misuse or
improper storage of
the vehicle.
(9) Personal conveyance
vehicles found in violation of this policy may be removed by BGSU police, or
other university staff at the direction of BGSU police,
and impounded.
(E)
Safety
(1)
Use of a helmet is strongly
recommended.
(2)
Operators should not carry passengers unless the
personal conveyance vehicle is designed for more than one
rider.
(3)
Operators must not be under the influence of drugs or
alcohol when riding.
(4)
Use of headphones or ear buds while riding is strongly
discouraged.
(F) Violation and
accountability
Individuals that violate this policy will be subject to having
the personal conveyance vehicle removed and impounded, as well as being subject
to employee corrective action procedures,
the code of student conduct, the Ohio Revised Code, and the city of
Bowling Green Code of Ordinances, as applicable.
The university is not responsible for
the cost of locks, chains, other security devices, or any other item that may
be damaged or destroyed because of the removal of a personal conveyance
vehicle; or for damages thay may occur during impoundment.
Additional information about impound
and storage fees can be found at the BGSU police webpage under "Impound and
Storage Fees."
Equity impact statement: The policy has
been assessed for adverse differential impact on members of one or more
protected groups.
