Fresno State bans electric scooters, bikes and skateboards on campus

Fresno State will ban electric scooters, electric bikes and skateboards beginning with the fall semester, cutting off a transportation option many students use to cross the sprawling campus quickly between classes.

The change comes after university officials said accidents involving motorized personal transportation devices had increased. On a campus that enrolls nearly 24,000 students, the ban is likely to hit commuters and students moving between distant parking lots, residence areas and classrooms hardest, especially during Fresno’s hot months when walking long distances can be punishing and parking remains expensive or hard to find.

The safety concerns were not abstract. A January crash near Shaw Avenue and Maple Avenue left a 20-year-old rider hospitalized after being hit by a car, one of the incidents that helped drive the policy shift. Fresno State had already tried to slow riders in high-traffic areas by adding wheeled-off zones, red paint and warning signs where people are supposed to dismount and walk. The university said those steps were not enough to stop accidents.

Under the new policy, using the banned devices on campus will be treated as a student conduct violation. Fresno State’s conduct rules already cover behavior that threatens campus safety or willfully obstructs pedestrian traffic, giving the university a disciplinary path to enforce the ban. Traffic Operations will confiscate motorized vehicles found in use after the effective date and send them to campus Lost and Found.

The university said the ban will not apply to motorized or non-motorized vehicles used for ADA mobility purposes. Fresno State’s existing safety rules also continue to prohibit skateboards, bikes, hoverboards and scooters inside buildings, hallways and corridors, while wheelchairs and mobility scooters used as mobility aids remain exempt. The campus also says it has designated racks for scooters, bikes and skateboards.

Fresno State has described its transportation mission as providing safe and reliable access to campus while reducing traffic congestion and parking demand. A virtual information session is scheduled for May 6 to explain the change and answer questions. For students who rely on wheels to beat the heat and get across campus on time, the policy marks a sharp shift in how Fresno State plans to balance convenience, safety and pedestrian traffic.