VIII. Use of Non-Pedestrian Devices

C. Electric Scooters

1. Electric scooters may be operated on campus only if such operation is safe and complies with established University policies and state laws.
2. Personal electric scooters may only be parked in designated bicycle racks. Electric scooters provided as part of a contracted fee-for-use mobility service may be parked at designated bike racks or in designated mobility service parking areas. Use of shrubs, trees, or any architectural structures to secure scooters is prohibited. Scooters are not permitted in Texas Tech academic, administrative, or residence hall buildings. Scooters may not be plugged into university building electric outlets, interior or exterior, for charging. Any scooter found in violation of this subsection may be impounded. The normal impoundment fee is $40.00. THE IMPOUNDMENT FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF THE CITATION OR ANY APPLICABLE STORAGE FEES. (See Section IX)
3. Routes
   
   a. A walkway may only be used by pedestrians. Examples include a breezeway or any walkway that runs in front of the external door to any building.
   
   b. A traveled way may be used by pedestrians and scooter operators. A traveled way is any way, area, or region, other than a campus street, where scooters are permitted to be operated or parked. Examples include a campus sidewalk, parking lot, service drive and loading bay, unless designated otherwise.
   Note: While a parking garage is a traveled way, operation of a scooter is prohibited in a parking garage.
   
   c. A campus street may be used in a manner consistent with State law.
   
   d. Any sidewalk that runs parallel to a street with a designated bike lane may not be used by an electric scooter operator. Operators must use the provided on-street bike lane or dismount their scooter.
   
   
4. A person may operate a scooter on a traveled way of campus if and only if all rules controlling such operation are observed. Traffic control devices, including designated areas, zones, signage and signals are part of the rules controlling operation of scooters and must be observed. Certain areas of campus with high levels of pedestrian traffic are signed as dismount zones during specified time periods. Operation of a scooter on these marked traveled ways is prohibited during the times posted.
5. Scooter operators may use a traveled way or campus street only for the purpose of simple transit. Simple transit is defined as the minimum actions necessary to safely convey a person or goods from one place to another via a transit route of the campus in a manner consistent with the regulations. Stunts, tricks, feats of skill, acrobatics and "extreme" sports activities are not simple transit and therefore are violations of the regulations.
6. A scooter operator must immediately comply with any instruction relevant to the operation of a bicycle given by a police officer.
7. Right of Way
   a. Each operator shall yield the right of way to all emergency personnel.
   
   b. Each operator shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian.
   
   c. Each operator shall yield the right of way to any other operator of a bicycle or scooter as necessary to ensure safe, courteous transit.
8. A scooter operator will bear to the right side of any traveled way as necessary to ensure safe, courteous transit unless preparing to turn left at an intersection.
9. The maximum speed at which a scooter may be operated on a traveled way or campus street shall not exceed that which is reasonable and prudent for the conditions at the time or that which creates a hazard to any person or property. In no case shall that speed exceed 10 miles per hour on any traveled way or 20 miles per hour on any campus street. Note: 2.5 mph is approximately the speed of an average pedestrian walking under fair conditions.
10. Any scooter or locking device deemed abandoned at residence hall bike racks at the end of the spring semester or at any point during the year at other campus buildings may be considered abandoned and may be properly disposed of through established university procedures. A scooter is considered abandoned when it has not been operated for 30 days. Abandonment impounds in residence hall bike parking areas are conducted once a year following the end of the spring semester and throughout the year at all other bike parking areas on campus.
11.  A scooter parked on Texas Tech property will be subject to impoundment if it is inoperable and has remained inoperable for more than 14 (fourteen) consecutive days. A scooter will be deemed inoperable if any of the following apply:
    
    a. Flat or missing tire.
    
    b. Damaged or missing handlebars
    
    c. Bent or damaged wheel rims.
    
    d. Broken brake devices.
    
    e. Broken or disengaged cables.