Electric scooters are coming to campus
May 3, 2023
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the response of Student Life and Ministry, which was not published in the print issue of the story.
This fall, there’s going to be a new mode of transportation hitting the sidewalks of Loyola.
The university has partnered with Go X Scooters to provide accessible transportation on campus, according to the Director of Student Life and Ministry, Dale O’Neill.
The scooters will be available 24/7 on the main campus and the Broadway campus for students to rent by downloading the Go X app and paying a fee.
O’Neill added that while there is no time limit on the scooters, users will be charged for every hour of their usage.
“Our Broadway students are going to love being able to easily get to the main campus,” she said.
While the number of scooters each campus will have is still being determined, O’Neill said there will be at least 20, and if there is high demand, that number can increase.
Business sophomore Areina Walker, who lives on the Broadway campus, said she is excited to have new means of transportation to her classes.
“I don’t have to worry about the shuttle being late anymore,” she said. “All I gotta do now is scoot on down St. Charles.”
According to O’Neill, there are set guidelines for the scooters.
As a safety precaution for students, the scooters will have a speed limit and restrictions on where they will be allowed to travel on and off campus, O’Neill said. The scooters will not be permitted on highways, for example, she said.
Additionally, the Go X company has insurance, and the risks of the scooters have been reviewed, according to O’Neill.
Despite being excited about the new transportation option, Walker said Loyola should’ve done this much sooner.
“All of these other schools have bikes, scooters, even cars,” she said. “They’re really late to the game. Why did they wait?”
Walker also expressed concern about how the scooters will be monitored, specifically about how damages will be assessed and if Go X or Loyola will handle those matters.
O’Neill said that any damages that may occur will be between the user and the Go X company.
Walker said she hopes students will use the scooters appropriately and not misuse the much-needed resource.