By Camila Chavarria, Staff Reporter
Like a lot of students at Dominguez Hills, I criss-cross campus multiple times every day. My route usually takes me from the I&I Building to the Classroom Village. I’ve struggled with knee pain since I was a sophomore in high school, and most days I think to myself, “I wish I had something to help me get around campus faster—why don’t we have any electric scooters around here?”
That question has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ll admit that I’m often running late because of where my classes are, and the rush to get there on time some days can cause a flare-up. Having a fleet of rental e-scooters available could be an eco-friendly option for Toros—I know it would do wonders for my knees. I could get to classes faster, or even grab a quick bite at La Michoacana down the street.
CSUDH policy currently prohibits skateboards, roller skates, inline skates, and scooters “upon the grounds or in the buildings” of CSUDH—except on weekends and holidays or for “authorized instructional purposes.” Bicycles are allowed but only on pedestrian walkways, although I see students using all of these mobility devices every day without any issues.
According to the Sustainability Office, the bike policy was put in place before the office was established. The policy has made it difficult to bring e-scooters and other mobility devices to campus. Last semester, the office asked Toros to weigh in on whether they wanted e-scooters on campus and the feedback came back well as students suggested having mobility devices on campus. The office said that may open the door for the school’s Alternative Transportation Committee to update the bike policy.
“It would be helpful for students to go out to different places and not worry about the walking time,” said Alison Castellanos, a junior marketing student.
“It would be beneficial to have electric scooters just in case you want to go outside campus and grab something to eat or drink.”
Bringing a fleet of e-scooters comes with a lot of questions and planning, of course.
How many units would be available? How would students rent them? Would there be limitations on how long they could be used or how far they could go? Would it be free? If not, how much would a rental cost? Who would be responsible for charging the scooters every day—and where?
There’s a lot to figure out, but the good news is that there seems to be some momentum behind the idea. Aemelia Hellgren, a Sustainability Office coordinator, told me her team is “actively working with internal stakeholders, including the Parking and Transportation Office and Capital Planning, as well as external partners like Metro and the City of Carson, to develop a “Mobility for All Hub,” which would include “the potential introduction of scooter rentals.”
I’ve been at CSUDH for three years, and my knees and I have always dreamed of hopping on an e-scooter to get around campus. Knowing that the Sustainability Office is working on this option made me hopeful that Toros who want to save time and explore more of campus can do so easily and conveniently.
I know e-scooters won’t solve all of the mobility and accessibility issues here at CSUDH, but the school has to start somewhere. Hellgren said that the university is committed to the initiative but progress depends on factors like stakeholder collaboration and funding.
Sure, no problem, do your thing to make it work for everyone, DH admins—I’m excited and ready to go along for the ride.
