Electric Scooters

Scooters on Campus

Scooters provide a quick, sustainable way to travel across campus—but only when they’re used safely and parked responsibly. To keep everyone moving smoothly, The University of Texas at Austin has developed scooter rules and resources in partnership with UTPD, Campus Safety, and other University offices.

On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about riding, parking, registering, and staying safe on your scooter at UT. Whether you ride a personal scooter or use a shared scooter from a rental company, please do your part to ride safe and park right.

Scooter Registration

When you register your personal scooter, you’re protecting your ride. Registration helps police return lost or stolen scooters, deters theft, and lets PTS reach you if it needs to be moved. It’s quick, free, and gives you peace of mind.

Register Your Scooter

Campus Rules and Guidelines

These recommendations were developed in coordination with PTS, UTPD, Campus Safety, University Health Services, Student Affairs, Legal Affairs, and other campus partners.

General Operation

• Scooters may only be operated where bicycle traffic is allowed.
• Always yield to pedestrians and ride at a low speed in crowded areas.
• Operate scooters in a safe, controlled manner—citations may be issued for reckless behavior.
• Shared (rental) scooters may not be charged on campus.
• Scooter access may be limited on football game days and during large campus events.

Parking

• Park only at bike racks or in designated scooter parking areas.
• Do not block ramps, doors, sidewalks, or ADA access.
• Improper parking may result in impoundment:
  • $150 fee for violations during University events, or for blocking ADA access, doors, ramps, stairways, or parking on Speedway or Main Mall.
  • $75 fee for all other impounds.
• Scooters are not allowed inside University buildings.

Scooter Safety

Scooters help bridge the “last mile” of a commute, but heavy pedestrian traffic makes safety essential.

Ride Smart

• Keep your speed low—especially near people on foot.
• Follow all rules of the road: stop at stop signs and lights, yield, and observe speed limits.
• If you’re new to scooters, review your rental company’s safety tutorial before riding.
• Scooters can accelerate quickly—start slowly to stay in control.
• Be alert and aware of your surroundings, especially in pathways that cross.
• Never ride impaired or while wearing earbuds.
• Keep both hands on the handlebars.
• Scooters are for single riders only.
• Follow all University Parking & Traffic Regulations.

Gear Up

• Wear a helmet—strongly recommended by PTS.
• Consider wrist guards, knee pads, and elbow pads.
• Most scooter rental company apps offer safety gear to their riders for the cost of shipping.

Scooter Speed Zones

Some areas of campus are designated speed-governed zones to enhance pedestrian safety. These areas are geofenced, meaning shared scooters automatically reduce speed when entering them. Within these zones, the maximum speed is 8 mph. Outside of these areas, the standard scooter speed limit is 15 mph.

Scooter Map

Text Only View

Map Legend

• Red Zones – Speed Governed (8 mph)
• Yellow Zones – UT Campus (15 mph)
• Blue Zones – City of Austin (15 mph)

Scooter Parking

Park only in designated scooter areas or at bike racks.

	Head-In Parking Use the small white lines as guides—place your front wheel between the lines.
	Parallel Parking Place scooters between the two end lines. Multiple scooters may share the space — keep each scooter aligned within the area and do not block the walking path.
	At Bike Racks Park as close as possible to the rack (or within it, if space allows) without blocking pedestrian or ADA access.

 
For designated scooter parking areas across campus, visit the Scooter Map. Click a scooter icon to view a photo of the location and see the type of parking available there.

Examples of Good and Bad Parking

Don't	Do
DON'T park on sidewalks or poles blocking pedestrian and ADA pathways.	DO park at nearby scooter parking areas and bike racks.
DON'T park on ramps or curb cuts.	DO park in areas out of the way of pedestrian and ADA access near bike racks.
DON'T park in the middle of a pedestrian plaza or sidewalk.	DO park out of the way of foot traffic near building walls in designated scooter areas and near bike racks.
DON'T park in front of stairs.	DO park to the side of stairs in designated scooter areas.
DON'T park on sidewalks blocking access. This narrows a sidewalk too much for a wheelchair to use it.	DO park near bike racks out of the way.
DON'T park on streets or drive lanes.	DO park in designated scooter areas near streets.
DON'T park BEHIND bike racks, blocking access.	DO park in or next to bike racks.