We were not surprised when UW-Madison Transportation Services announced moped drivers would soon be paying to park on campus. In the last year, we have seen the implementation of a wide scale moped management program including limited parking spaces and the issuance of citations for those not following the new rules. All of these steps are fair and necessary for transportation safety and efficiency.
The surging population of mopeds on campus in recent years has created a situation in which the vehicles have been parked on sidewalks and other walkways. This becomes a safety hazard in the case of fire evacuations and to pedestrians who are forced to jump out of the way of a moped on the sidewalk.
UW-Madison Transportation Services has spent approximatley $60,000 to create, mark and maintain moped parking facilities across campus this year and distribute thousands of fliers to educated drivers of the new regulations. Parking permits are an important next step to keeping campus safe for all students, faculty, staff and visitors.
Given that street permits for cars and trucks are expensive and often difficult to obtain, $55 moped permits are not a legitimate reason for outcry.
What we do anticipate becoming a problem next semester is the availability of parking as more mopeds are brought to Madison each fall. With parking permits in use, we believe the University must make sure there are always enough spots for the number of permits issued. Also, students with permits need to make a good-faith effort to park in official spaces or risk getting a citation. As long as there are enough spaces for all mopeds, fines should not become a hindrance to student finances.
Finally, in order to decrease the strain that mopeds create on transportation management, the University must do its best to communicate to incoming students the difficulty having a moped can bring. New students should be discouraged from bringing mopeds to campus just as they are discouraged to bring cars to campus now.
