Photo courtesy of Tia Trinh

During winter quarter at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), the ground is perpetually wet. Rains come and go through campus, never straying for more than a week or two at a time, keeping plants watered and sidewalks muddy. For a campus that relies so heavily on bikes, the debris that bad weather rounds up can make getting to campus feel like an obstacle course. But this doesn’t stop the daily swarm of campus commuters.

As bikes and skateboards cruise over sticks and leaves, traveling on campus creates a chorus of snapping and shattering pieces of trees and bushes that get in the way of a busy student on the move. Winding bike paths become a dangerous highway of rapid traffic with pedestrians and commuters alike anxious about the crowds and weather.

Bike culture is incredibly popular on and off campus, and as UCSB Sustainability proudly boasts, UCSB has long since been recognized with gold level in both Bicycle Friendly Business and Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) award. In 2019, The Current reported on the university’s achievement of platinum level BFU award. Despite these prestigious awards, it doesn’t detract from failing infrastructure, especially the uneven pavements, potholes, and convoluted bike paths that make it all the more difficult during rush hours.

Cumulative reports from 2014-2024

Screenshots of bikemaps.org as of March 16, 2024 at 11 a.m.

Even though it’s updated constantly and statistics are changing, one zoom in on Isla Vista and the UCSB campus shows markings of where accidents are most likely to happen: every campus bike path intersection and even the walkways that cut through buildings when there is no easily accessible bike path.

Statistics, like the ones found on Dr. Nelson’s bikemaps.org, reflect only a handful of accidents that occur on and off campus. Due to many students, including myself, not having been made aware of the site before reading deeper into bike safety at UCSB, the true number of accidents that occur is near impossible to know. What can be inferred however, is that there are certain spots, on and off campus, where accidents are more likely to occur — accidents that many students bear witness to before continuing on with their day without a second thought.

Now factor in electric scooters: faster and more difficult to control. With bike accidents already far too common, electric scooters make the bike paths and even campus walkways even more hazardous. Not even two weeks ago, walking with friends from class, enthusiastically recounting what we had just discussed when one friend split off to head to another class. She was crossing a skateboard lane when all of a sudden, there’s a girl on an electric scooter speeding her way. The collision happened in slow motion — almost like a movie in a way — their collision immediately drawing a worried crowd as people asked both my friend and the electric scooter girl if they were alright.

Though different communities that have hosted electric scooters have tried to create regulations regarding where they can be parked, how fast they can go, and where they are able to be driven, once users mount the bikes, there’s only so much that can be done. This issue isn’t restricted only to UCSB. As CalMatters reports, electric scooters are being found more often on other campuses. They may not necessarily be allowed, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. While each university and college tackles electric scooter safety in a different manner, not every policy is permanent. Such is the case at UCSB, where an interim policy has and only can do so much.

Since their introduction to Santa Barbara, County officials have received complaints about scooters littering the streets, creating hazards for all other types of transportations that rely on clear roadways, sidewalks and bike paths. Students riding them on campus have created a danger to others regardless of whether they are being ridden in the bike path, skateboard lane, or even on the sidewalks. Dodging and weaving between people and bikes going 30 miles per hour, oftentimes with no helmet, is bound to continue causing accidents.

My experience riding — and subsequently falling off — an electric scooter is not a unique one. In fact, it’s almost concerning how excited a person may get when they bring up their own experience or that of another. The first and last time I used a Bird to travel, a friend and I were heading to campus to meet up with friends for a highly anticipated night out. Step on a Bird and it’s like flying. The world blurred by, Isla Vista markers of chipped paint and crumbling balconies blending together as we raced down the dimly lit streets. Students stumbled on sidewalks and pavement, going in the same direction that we were. We were like any other pair of girls, improperly dressed for the cold weather, painted nails and glitter dusted over skin. I had my arms wrapped around my friend’s, my legs crossed as I stood on the back of an electric scooter meant for one.

Photo courtesy of Faith Talamantez.

I couldn’t see the moment we collided with the back of a moving car. There was a shout, then a crash, and then I was on the ground, body aching, gasping for air, and eyes refocusing on the world around me. Rocks dug into my skin as I pushed myself up from the ground, the world around me illuminated by the tail lights of the car we had hit and the flickering streetlight at the corner of the street. There was an open plastic bottle next to us, reeking of the coconut rum I was beginning to get sick of. My stomach rolled at the smell, threatening to spill my guts and dinner out onto the street. We hadn’t even made it to the pregame. My hands were wet, from the scratches of blood or alcohol that began to seep into the cuts, I couldn’t remember. I do remember the hands and feet that swarmed my vision, a blur of colors against the dark pavement, voices checking for injuries, repeating the phrase, are you okay? are you okay? are you?

I was. I didn’t see my life flash before my eyes, like every dramatic retelling does, because all I could remember was the scooter, the car, and the pain.

Photo courtesy of Faith Talamantez.

Every dramatic retelling of my own accident has been followed by or prompted by others sharing their own stories. In fact, the girl whose car we had hit had told us that she too had been in the almost exact situation, except that the driver continued on their way. She, at least, offered to drive us back to the dorms or the hospital. Despite being able to laugh it off today, categorizing it as one of many crazy experiences in college, it doesn’t change the fact that these electric scooters remain a danger within our community.

As a result of the rapid popularity of electric scooters, UC Santa Barbara officials were forced to respond in consideration of the safety of its students. Initially, the Daily Nexus reported that the school placed a temporary ban on September 7th, 2018 that prohibited electric scooters from being used on campus bike paths or walkways. Their policy gave the UCSB Police Department the ability to impound scooters that they might’ve found on campus as well. Much of the policy stemmed from the UCSB community questioning the safety of the scooters after witnessing how poorly they integrated with the classic modes of transportation being used by students, staff, and community members alike.

We had the opportunity to speak to UCSB Transportation & Parking Services Director Nestor Covarrubias, who offered some insight into how the university works with different stakeholders on and off campus to advocate for and work towards designing transportation safety with the recent addition of electric scooters. Though his work isn’t completely in line with electric scooters, he was one of the stakeholders in the 2018 interim policy. Covarrubias, who advocates for electric scooters as a great option for micro-mobility and bridging the longer distance gap, is still well aware of some of the greater issues regarding their safety.

“Our campus itself doesn't have the infrastructure needed for students to safely ride on. And I truly believe that the bike paths are great, but they're already full of students that are actually using them as bike paths,” he noted. Although the UCSB Associated Students Bike Committee keeps track of a list of completed projects on their page, reflecting a general push for ensuring safety and creating more opportunities for commuters, it still doesn’t take away from how crowded these bike paths can and will get.

“When scooters first started showing up, there was no consultation. Vendors just dropped them in Isla Vista and students were using them coming off the campus,” Covarrubias recounts the sudden introduction of electric scooters to campus. “They were being left all over the place and pathways. It made it difficult for people with accessible mobility issues to get around in certain areas.” Thus, the interim policy was quickly put into place. As of today, it has not since been withdrawn, meaning all use of electric scooters is prohibited on campus. But that doesn’t mean it’s stopped entirely.

Photo courtesy of UCSB Digital Asset Library.

In a series of interviews, students at UC Santa Barbara shared their experiences and opinions when it comes to electric scooters.

UCSB student Hannah Hamilton uses an electric scooter when she’s in a rush. Given their speed, it can sometimes be the easiest way to get across Isla Vista in a pinch. However, Hamilton also recognizes how their speediness can be cause for concern.

They are used irresponsibly by people in a rush,” said Hamilton.

“On one dark night during her freshman year, Hamilton recounts what was one of the scariest moments in her time in college. On their way to a friend’s apartment, Hamilton and a friend realized they were more pressed for time than they thought, and needed a fast way to travel. Hamilton, having experience using an electric scooter and even using them with friends at times, offered to navigate the way through the dark. They sped down the streets of Isla Vista on an electric scooter, eager to arrive at their designated location when suddenly, headlights appeared in Hamilton’s peripheral vision. A car, going in a rush somewhere, had ran a stop sign and had it not been for Hamilton’s split second decision to try to slow the electric scooter down, they might have been hit by the car instead of hitting the back of the car. Both Hamilton and her friend fell off the scooter, luckily with only minor injuries, and into the street.

“I think the university could do more to address electric scooter safety,” Hamilton added. “I have seen no information on electric scooters on campus. People ride them without regard to the people around them.”

Photo courtesy of Tia Trinh.

Hamilton believes that if more regulations were posted and made known to the student body, that it would increase the safety of campus and Isla Vista in general. Even more so, she thinks there should be certain requirements to be able to get on an electric scooter in the first place.

Second year UCSB student Sam Healey uses electric scooters for 3 hours at a time, multiple days of the week with his job as a Racer at the local delivery business, Duffl, delivering snacks, drinks, and other student needs across Isla Vista.

“I’m very pro-electric scooter. They’re fun, convenient, and good for the environment. Did I mention they are fun?” said Healey. “Of course, safety is essential.”

Even so, Healey describes getting into multiple accidents over the course of his life when using electric scooters. He and a friend got into an accident when he was in the later years of elementary school, which unfortunately resulted in his friend needing stitches. But, that mishap didn’t stop Healey from mounting the scooters again. Unfortunately for Healey, his early accident wouldn’t be the only one he dealt with.

“I got into an accident pretty recently actually. I hit a bump when I had a very loose grip on my scooter, and I skidded for like, twenty feet,” he recounted. “It was quite painful.”

These scooters, though quick and convenient, pose dangers to even the most experienced drivers. Healey acknowledges that driving these scooters comes with a certain need for responsibility, especially when it comes to the high traffic roads of Isla Vista. Even still, he was entirely unaware of the interim policy, to no fault of his own. Similarly to Hamilton, he hasn’t seen or heard of any rules that the university has in place, and has used scooters on campus before.

“Ultimately, I think safety comes down to the user not being reckless and staying 100% aware, following the bike paths and not being too ambitious with passing people,” Healey said. “In an ideal world, the university shouldn't have to do anything, it should be on the individual.”

With vehicles like electric scooters, it’s true that the individual holds most of the power with how it will be ridden. Though the university, the electric scooter companies, and county officials have tried to further regulate them, once a person gets on the scooter, whatever happens next is entirely up to them. Healey only rides the scooters for work, and prefers to bike when going about the rest of his day. He notes that the difference in power between his bike and his scooter is tangible, and reminds him often how important it is to be safe on the motorized scooters.

Photo courtesy of Faith Talamantez.

Photo courtesy of Faith Talamantez.

But for fourth year student Marco Federighi, taking the risk on an electric scooter just isn’t worth it anymore. Despite owning an electric scooter, Federighi decided to stop bringing it onto campus, and now rarely rides it around Isla Vista. It was convenient for getting to places but the risks quickly began to outweigh the benefits.

“It made getting around town very easy but there are definitely some downsides,” Federighi discussed. “For example, during the rain, I would have to bring my scooter to class, which was inconvenient especially after new campus policies were put in place stating that scooters were no longer allowed in some school facilities, like the library.” Because of their bulky structure and how pricey they can be, leaving an electric scooter outside was simply unsafe and prone to being stolen.

Even Federighi, who doesn’t even ride his scooter that fast and tries to take as many precautions as he can, isn’t free of accidents. He emphasized, “The scooters are just too fast, you have very little reaction time if someone walks in front of you and you have to decide to potentially hurt someone else or try to get out of the way and hurt yourself.” With the regular crowds of walking, biking, and skateboarding students that flood campus each day, one small accident may cause an even greater pile-up, depending on the time of day and crowd along the bike paths, streets, and skateboard lanes. It’s almost inevitable during the busy hours when everyone seems to flood campus. Slowing down at a roundabout too slowly might result in someone whose biking too close to you ramming into the back of your bike, resulting in the person behind to crash, and another and another until there’s a pile of bodies and metal and a crowd of people running over to see if everyone is okay. Accidents can cause backups and backups can cause frustrations, especially when students are in a rush or eager to return home.

Though UCSB policies have discouraged him from using electric scooters, they haven’t entirely been erased from campus. Accidents are still prone to happening, and watching one unfold in front of a crowd feels like watching an action movie in slow motion. With their high speeds and inability to stop quickly, collisions can result in people flying off. The bike paths aren’t equipped for the scooters, especially with their uneven paving and the large crowds during busy periods. Skateboard lanes are even more of a hazard as crowds walk alongside and through them, meaning there is more room for accidents to occur.

Work towards greater electric scooter safety is a work in progress. Students have mixed feelings about their use and presence around them, making it all the more difficult to come to a complete decision about how to proceed further.

In looking towards the future, Covarruvias remains optimistic about a long term plan that will incorporate better transportation infrastructure onto the UCSB campus. Not only will this help in mitigating transportation safety overall, but it will also pave way towards possibly creating a long term electric scooter policy to set a precedent for the future.

“I'd like to see that that plan really incorporates easy access to the buses and bikes, looking at opportunities for micro mobility, and whether there's new pathways that can be developed,” Covarrubias said. “A long range plan that is driven by community feedback, and folks weighing in on what they feel is important. And then working towards that, in terms of infrastructure and getting the infrastructure needed to support those forms of transportation.”

Despite the dangers, there’s still hope. It’s unlikely that electric scooters will be removed or will drop in use, but whether or not they are safe, electric scooters have become an integral part of Isla Vista life. Mixed opinions on the scooters are indicative of their ability to be both a helpful tool, but also, a dangerous mode of transportation. While I might not ever try my luck on an electric scooter ever again, that doesn’t mean other students won’t. Moving forward, it’s crucial that UC Santa Barbara officials continue to evaluate the scooters and how they are impacting commuting throughout Isla Vista and on campus so discussions can be had regarding further regulations and restrictions being put in place.

Photo courtesy of Faith Talamantez.