Personal vehicle ban in dorms raises infrastructure concerns

Newly placed signs plastered on bike racks and entryway doors give students in residence halls  a clear message: 

Personal vehicles are not allowed inside Boise State buildings. 

This rule includes scooters, bikes, skateboards and the electronic versions of the respective vehicles. 

Before the rule took effect, students could store and charge their vehicles inside their dorm rooms. Much to the surprise of student-riders, however, this rule has been in effect for over a year.

“We decided to use this year to educate everyone [with the new signage] because this rule isn’t new,” said Tana Monroe, associate vice president of the Department of Public Safety. “There’s especially a safety component around the batteries — which have been known to catch fire — so we want to make sure we don’t have fires in our buildings.”

A mirrored incident at San Diego State University involves a lithium-ion battery exploding in a dorm earlier this year.

“[Students need] access to escape in a fire, [to ensure] the walkways are clear,” Monroe said. “We can’t have a bunch of bikes in the hallway, they get left out in different areas where it makes it hard for people to walk through.”

Off-campus student Carlos Torres said the policy raises concerns about where students can safely store electric vehicles. He always makes sure his electric skateboard stays out of students’ paths. 

“[My skateboard] is quite expensive, and I was concerned because I can’t really chain it up like a bike,” Torres said. “My bike was stolen here — even though it was locked and everything. I just have to keep my transportation on me at all times… it would be nice if they could provide a little bit more infrastructure.”

Many resident assistants (RAs) returning to live in the dorms this year were shocked to find out this had been an active rule. Josephine Beck, an RA in Sawtooth Hall, worries about how the strictly enforced rule may affect her electric scooter usage.

“The university did not adequately communicate with returning students,” Beck said. “I know a lot of people rely on these vehicles… people are upset by this and they’re taking it out on the RAs because that’s their line of communication.”

After recently getting a job downtown, Beck is concerned about getting to work on time due to the limited number of outdoor outlets at Sawtooth Hall.

“We only have four outlets [for around 700 residents] and it’s constantly in use. I feel bad unplugging people’s stuff — I don’t know what to do,” Beck said. “It’s hard to enforce a rule that you don’t agree with.”

Boise State offers outdoor wall outlets at various academic and residential buildings to charge electric vehicles. The Lincoln Avenue and Brady Street parking garages have designated Bike Barns for student vehicles, with $15 permits available through the Cycle Learning Center (CLC). Currently, only the Lincoln Avenue garage has charging outlets. 

The Hemingway Mobility Hub, between the Intramural Field and the Student Union Building, is the university’s newest infrastructure addition supporting electric vehicle use. This new hub will act as a “first-come, first-serve” charging and parking location. 

The Department of Public Safety looked at the cost of maintenance for future scooter and bike storage, and found they would need “hundreds of thousands of dollars” to complete a project, according to Monroe. 

“I would prefer people to not bring them [electric vehicles]…You have to have [a building] temperature controlled and secure so people can’t steal things — there’s multiple factors that don’t make it a simple solution.”

In the meantime, Monroe encourages students to use bike locks to secure their property, purchasable on campus at the CLC. 

Some students don’t mind the rule; Chaffee Hall resident Ben Cooper cites his comfortability with knowing that his bike is going to be safe when left outside.

“I park it outside and I’ve kept it locked. I don’t worry too much about it getting stolen,” Cooper said. “Campus is so bike friendly. The very wide roads and bike lanes on each side, especially when you’re going to Albertsons or downtown — really nice.”

The reinforced personal conveyance vehicle ban in university buildings shapes the future of alternative transportation on campus, changing how students store and access their vehicles. To aid students, the Boise State interactive map shows the nearest vehicle storage and charging stations.

“The alternative transportation on campus is continuing to grow. Trying to make sure we have options because [car] parking is so limited — putting more bike racks out, putting more transit center spaces — that is a priority for our department,” Monroe said.