After banning the use of power features on e-bikes and all other personal electric vehicles in December 2023, an updated policy to reflect a full ban of PEVs on campus will take effect July 1.
A fully-pedestrianized campus could justify the “collision risk” cited in the campus email, but it’s really hard to do the same for the “fire risk” that they also cited. If the idea is that the five bike racks in question are somehow more easily defended against battery fires, or have no structures nearby that would be within range of a battery fire, that’s a hard sell when a map of the campus shows over a dozen car-parking surface lots scattered all over.
These lots are large enough that if car parking was displaced in the center to make room for more ebike racks, there would be no structures or even other cars within damage range if a fire broke out. Having just five racks is, IMO, a sign of being inconsiderate and car-centric.
I think the purpose of the E-bike racks is so that students can still commute to campus on their E-bikes. They just dont want them zooming around highly populated pedestrian walkways. Also, lithium battery fires are no joke and people do take these kinds of devices indoors to charge. If this prevents even a single indoor fire, then the policy is sound.
A fully-pedestrianized campus could justify the “collision risk” cited in the campus email, but it’s really hard to do the same for the “fire risk” that they also cited. If the idea is that the five bike racks in question are somehow more easily defended against battery fires, or have no structures nearby that would be within range of a battery fire, that’s a hard sell when a map of the campus shows over a dozen car-parking surface lots scattered all over.
These lots are large enough that if car parking was displaced in the center to make room for more ebike racks, there would be no structures or even other cars within damage range if a fire broke out. Having just five racks is, IMO, a sign of being inconsiderate and car-centric.
Exactly. Integrating bicycle safely into a campus is extremely easy, it’s just that they’re demonized
I think the purpose of the E-bike racks is so that students can still commute to campus on their E-bikes. They just dont want them zooming around highly populated pedestrian walkways. Also, lithium battery fires are no joke and people do take these kinds of devices indoors to charge. If this prevents even a single indoor fire, then the policy is sound.