One of N.J.’s largest universities just banned e-bikes — and some students are not happy
Two years after school officials banned electric scooters on campus, Princeton University is banning all electric bikes.
New Policy released on Monday It will go into effect on the Ivy League campus on June 1.
Under the new policy, graduate students, faculty and staff who live and commute off campus will be able to continue riding e-bikes to school. However, passengers will be required to park in designated areas and not use e-bikes on the main campus.
“E-Bike users have increasingly been observed violating safety rules, including riding on sidewalks and pedestrian paths, failing to yield to pedestrians, and carrying multiple riders on a single device,” according to an email to the Princeton community announcing the new policy.
The Campus Environmental Safety and Risk Management Committee said the new e-bike ban will apply to all students, faculty, staff and visitors.
Charlie Yale, a columnist for the campus newspaper the Daily Princetonian, defended the e-bike ban in December.
“E-bikes are passing pedestrians, parked in the middle of pedestrian paths, and certainly being ridden faster than 10 mph,” Yale wrote.
While he empathized with students who need to tour the campus regularly, he also expressed the dangers posed by e-bikes. guaranteed the banhe wrote.
On social media Monday, some members of the Princeton University community said they were upset that the school had banned all e-bikes rather than punishing riders who break the rules.
“Why punish criminals when we can ban everyone?” he said A commenter on Reddit.
Princeton University’s main campus consists of about 190 buildings on 500 acres, campus officials said. Approximately 98% of undergraduate students live on campus.
The ban comes as New Jersey tightens statewide e-bike regulations.
In January, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation expanding licensing, registration and insurance requirements for e-bike users who own a pedal-powered bike. The law comes into force on July 1.
The Princeton University ban goes beyond banning e-bike riding. Students must also remove their e-bikes from campus.
“Any e-bikes found on campus after June 1 will be considered abandoned property and will be confiscated without any expectation of return,” the campus message released Monday said.
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