Too Fast for Foot Traffic? Scooter Safety on Campus
By Isabelle Loginovs | September 28, 2026
Students weigh the convenience of scooters against concerns about sharing crowded campus walkways.
For some students, scooters mean getting to class on time. For others, they mean watching their backs.
Electric scooters have become a convenient way for students to travel around the University at Albany campus, especially when they are running late or need to get across campus quickly. But as scooters share walkways with pedestrians, students have differing opinions about whether riders are using them safely.
David Omotosho, a junior majoring in informatics with a concentration in software development, has been using a scooter since his freshman year. When he first purchased it, Omotosho said he rode his scooter to class about four times a week. Now, he uses it less frequently, mainly when he is running late or traveling a longer distance.
For Omotosho, the biggest advantage of riding a scooter is saving time. However, he said navigating through crowds of pedestrians can make riding difficult and sometimes dangerous.
“A lot of the time, the reason why I don’t feel safe is because of the other students walking,” Omotosho said.
He said pedestrians wearing headphones, looking at their phones or simply not paying attention may not notice a scooter approaching. According to Omotosho, pedestrians can also unexpectedly change direction, leaving riders little time to react.
Omotosho experienced this firsthand during his freshman year while riding to meet a friend late at night. He said a pedestrian moved into his path even though his scooter light was on, and he was ringing his bell. Omotosho swerved toward a curb, fell and scraped his arms, knees and the palm of his hand. He said it took approximately three months for his injuries to heal properly.
The accident was not his only close call. Omotosho said he has had numerous encounters with pedestrians who did not notice him approaching and have sometimes yelled at him after being surprised by his scooter.
Other students have had similar experiences from the opposite perspective.
Adrianny Rodriguez, a senior majoring in business administration, said she is not completely against scooters but believes some riders do not adjust their speed when pedestrians are nearby.
“I’m not against them, but I’m not for them,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said she has heard about incidents involving her friends and experienced a close call herself. While walking toward Stuyvesant Plaza, she said a scooter rider approached from behind without warning, forcing her to move quickly to avoid being hit.
Rodriguez said she believes scooter riders should give pedestrians some warning when approaching them, whether by using a bell or verbally letting them know they are coming.
Jacob Mosden, a junior majoring in offensive cybersecurity and computer science, also sees scooters as a useful form of transportation but said he has concerns about how safely they are used.
“I think they make for a fine mode of transportation,” Mosden said. “However, I do not believe that they are necessarily the safest for both the students and pedestrians on campus.”
Mosden said he has experienced numerous close calls while walking, including instances in which he was nearly hit or crashed into by scooter riders who were not paying enough attention to their surroundings.
Ethan Langaigne, a junior cybersecurity major, said he has also experienced a close call with a scooter. He said he does not think scooters should be ridden in heavily populated areas of the campus.
For the students interviewed, concerns often center on speed, awareness and how scooters and pedestrians share crowded areas.
Omotosho said he typically travels between 12 and 20 miles per hour on his scooter and can reach approximately 24 miles per hour. He said he would not want to purchase a faster scooter because of the increased risk of an accident.
However, the University at Albany has rules that set a specific limit for electric mobility devices on campus. Under UAlbany’s Electric Mobility and Micromobility Device operating requirement, the maximum operating speed on campus is 15 miles per hour.
The policy applies to personal electric transportation devices including e-scooters, e-bikes, hoverboards, electric skateboards, segways, and electric unicycles. Wheelchairs and other electrically powered mobility assistance devices are excluded.
The policy also prohibits EMMDs from being operated inside buildings in controlled spaces and in restricted pedestrian areas, including Academic Podium zones.
Omotosho said he was not initially aware that scooters were prohibited in certain areas of campus, particularly around the Academic Podium and lecture halls. He said clearer communication about the rules could help students understand where they are and are not allowed to ride.
“They have to make the rules abundantly more clear,” Omotosho said.
Omotosho said he noticed signs restricting scooters in places such as the Campus Center and lecture halls, but said he did not always understand the full extent of the restrictions.
The different perspectives show that the debate is not necessarily about whether scooters belong on campus. Instead, students are questioning how riders and pedestrians can safely coexist.
For scooter riders like Omotosho, scooters provide a fast and convenient way to get to class. For students like Rodriguez, Mosden, and Langaigne, the convenience comes with concerns about speed, awareness and where scooters should be ridden.
“We’re just trying to get to class on time,” Omotosho said. “We’re not trying to hit you.”
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