ASU to impound electric scooters on campus

Arizona State University will now impound electric scooters on its Tempe campus after they remained in use by some despite a university ban.

Last month, ASU “reminded” its students and companies like Bird and Lime, which operate dockless electric scooters in Tempe, that electric scooters were not allowed on campus according to an existing university policy.

But not all heeded the ASU scooter ban. And, at first, ASU didn’t enforce it.

Earlier this week, ASU said people found riding scooters (and bikes and skateboards) in the campus’s designated walk-only zones would be “directed to walk by attendants who monitor those areas.”

“Because we recognize that these scooters have become a convenient mode of transportation for some students, we are holding off on enforcement actions (impounding, ticketing, removal, etc.) for now until a plan is in place to safely incorporate the use of these devices around the campus,” ASU spokesman Gerardo Gonzalez said on Tuesday.

But on Friday, Gonzalez said ASU would begin impounding scooters “starting today.” He did not give a reason for the change.

Impound fees start at $100 per scooter and run up to $250 with additional violations.

ASU won’t be the only campus to impound scooters.

At Michigan State University, at least 100 scooters have been impounded by campus police because they were parked where they shouldn’t have been.

Gonzalez said ASU notified the scooter companies that they will be charged an impound fee for each scooter found on the Tempe campus.

A spokesperson for Lime said the company offers a “sustainable transportation option” for students and that it encourages “safe and responsible riding.”

“Arizona State University has informed us they will start impounding scooters and thus prevent students from further access to reliable transportation. We want to work with the school toward a reasonable and fair solution to continue to serve the community,” spokesperson Alex Youn said in an emailed statement.

Youn also noted a safety campaign and helmet giveaway effort the company started last week.

A Bird spokesman said they have expanded their “Bird Watchers Program” to combat problems with scooters parked on the ASU campus.

“Individuals involved in this program work with local communities to ensure that Birds are parked, ridden and picked up correctly. If any scooters are impounded on campus, Bird will partner with university officials to investigate each incident and take necessary action,” the spokesman said in an emailed statement.

Gonzalez said the school also set up designated parking zones on the outer boundaries of campus, he said. Students can ride scooters to the edge of campus and park them there, he said.

The two scooter companies do not offer service in Tucson. Still, the University of Arizona has also announced a ban on scooters.