Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: News

The biking policy is still in effect, yet people continue to ride their bikes, skateboards, scooters and roller skates in areas of the campus which are off limits.

Those who use bicycles, skateboards or other non-motorized vehicles on campus are now being formally challenged at the university level by some faculty members at SJSU.

Members of the California State University Employees Union filed a health and safety grievance Nov. 21, 2007, claiming that non-motorized vehicles are dangerous and hazardous and should be banned on campus.

Union member and journalism lecturer Steve Sloan said he brought this issue to the attention of the union.

Sloan said he and other union members filed a grievance because they believed the contract between the union and the university had been violated.

"Bicycles were allowed on San Carlos and Seventh streets," Sloan said. "We agreed to that in the past, but the problem is that the safe handling of bicycles has not been enforced on campus."

According to the Campus Non-Motorized Vehicle Policy, bicycles, skateboards, scooters, unicycles, roller skates and other similar objects are required to follow listed rules and regulations.

A presidential directive, issued Oct. 23, 2007, changed the policy to allow non-motorized vehicles on campus as long as they ride in a safe manner, whereas the previous policy only allowed them on the perimeter and main corridors.

The policy states that penalties for violating the regulations, such as riding with too many pedestrians present or going over the speed limit of 5 mph, may range from a verbal warning to a citation.

The union's grievance could be heard on four different levels of consideration, Sloan said.

The first level requires an immediate manager, typically from the department of human resources, to look over the grievance.

At the second level, the grievance is seen by a representative from the president's office, Sloan said.

At the third level, it is seen by a representative from the chancellor's office.

If the grievance is denied at those levels, it can be taken to the fourth level where an actual jury trial could take place.

The grievance has already been denied at the first level, Sloan said, and was heard at the second level April 15, but the union is still waiting for an answer.

UPD Sgt. John Laws said citations are the highest violations and are considered traffic tickets, which could total up to $141.

Roxy Kamal, a sophomore business and marketing major, said she rode a Razor scooter at school almost every day.

"I have three classes in a row," she said. "That's how I get to my classes on time because they are all over campus."

Kamal, 19, also said she thought people used non-motorized vehicles because parking was unreliable and permits were expensive.

"People should be able to ride to school on whatever they want," she said. "As long as we go to school, who cares?"

Mark Loftus, associate director of risk and compliance, said his human resources unit was responsible for issues with risk management, workers compensation, equal opportunity and employee and labor relations.

He said the unit was looking at the details of the grievance carefully.

"We're doing some research and finding out if that allegation is based on fact or perception," Loftus said in reference to Sloan's complaint.

Nicole Martinez, a senior business management major, said she had been riding her bicycle to school for almost two years, and she didn't think banning bicycles was the solution.

"I don't think that everybody should be punished for the few people who park their bikes in incorrect places or ride them in buildings," said Martinez, 22. "They are really going to ruin it for the people who are safe and follow the rules."

Sloan said he was OK with alternative forms of transportation since he is a bicyclist, but his first priority was safety.

"Just because nobody has been hurt doesn't mean you can perpetuate a dangerous situation," he said. "If it's true that no one has been hurt, I think the only thing keeping that from happening is just pure luck."

Sloan added that he and other staff had seen people riding skateboards and scooters inside buildings, and bicycles are locked to poles and benches around campus.

Andre Barnes, UPD chief of police, said he had not seen or heard about many safety issues linked with non-motorized vehicles that convince him to revisit the policy.

"There hasn't been any factual evidence that we can see that would cause us to change our mind," he said. "I understand that some people would not like to have them riding, but from an enforcement standpoint, based on the numbers and issues we've seen, we don't see any reason why we would change the policy."

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