The new motorized vehicle ban that is being put in place for the upcoming Fall 2026 semester is a necessity in order to increase the safety of students and staff at Fresno State.
This kind of announcement caused a lot of mixed emotions among the students on campus. Despite the controversy, this is still a good decision and should be treated as such.
As stated in a campus-wide email, “Motorized devices, while convenient, can pose significant safety risks in a campus environment with heavy pedestrian traffic and shared pathways. This updated policy is intended to reduce collisions and injuries and ensure a safer experience for everyone.”
Though motorized vehicles are convenient for getting around campus, they have caused a lot of accidents throughout the years and many close calls. Just earlier this semester, a Fresno State student was hospitalized after a crash involving an electric scooter near campus.
With that being said, I wouldn’t necessarily consider this ban to be a bad thing. There are still alternate ways to get around campus that don’t involve driving into oncoming traffic at high speeds.
It’s only motorized vehicles that are banned, which means non-motorized bikes, scooters and skateboards will still be permitted for students to use around campus, and for those who need it, ADA motorized vehicles are exempt from the ban.
For the longer distances, Fresno State offers a free shuttle service for all students with a valid Fresno State ID, as well as local transportation options.
“I think that e-vehicles aren’t needed per se, rather they’re just another device students use to get from class to class or from their apartment to the campus and vice versa,” said Alex Martinez, a first-year Fresno State student. “Students can learn to manage without them for sure; or if they truly need a way to get to classes faster, they can ride a normal bike, or scooter or skateboard.”
This ban will help students like me feel more at ease when it comes to driving near campus. I was getting tired of having to be extra cautious when driving in fear of a random scooter appearing out of nowhere.
The only big issue I see with this new ban is the parking situation. I know some students heavily rely on their electronic vehicles to get them from their apartment to school. This can heavily affect our already cramped parking lots and might have some of us park in inconvenient places.
This ban was put in place without any student input, which is something that I personally feel like could’ve been handled better, because I know not everyone was in favor of it. Everyone deserves to at least get a say when it comes to changes in their own school.
“I think they are practical, but they should be more monitored and not fully banned,” said Eliana Garza, a first-year Fresno State student. “I personally don’t really agree with the ban, but I understand why it was implemented.”
Besides those minor things, I do think that with this ban in place, it will do exactly what the school wants, which is to increase the safety of students.
The new prohibition of motorized vehicles on campus can do us good and thoroughly put a stop to all the accidents and close calls. Though this new rule isn’t viewed positively by everyone, I do believe the school will benefit greatly from it.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that students did not have any input into the decision to ban motorized vehicles on campus. According to University Communications, members of the student government were consulted beforehand.
