University police will start handing out $200 tickets to bikers and skateboarders whizzing through Bruin Walk next week.
UCPD officers have stopped students on wheels this past week and given warnings for violating dismount zones to let students know about the change.
Tickets for violating the dismount zones are at least $200 and can be more depending on other court and legal fees. That amount is not set by UCPD.
“We don’t want to ticket students, which is why we are having this education week,” said UCLA crime prevention officer Erik Rakowski. “We just want to keep everyone safe.”
Some students and staff have complained to UCPD about near-accidents with bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers and scooters. These scares, as well as several reported accidents, prompted UCPD to take steps this year to enforce “Walk Your Wheels” zones, Rakowski said.
“There has been an ongoing discussion for a while about ways to enforce the dismount zones, but it hasn’t always been a top priority,” Rakowski said. “This year we are setting a precedent from the start of the school year about how we will enforce the dismount zones.”
Based on recent interactions with students, Rakowski added that he thinks many students are unclear about the extent of the dismount zone, which starts at the crosswalk by De Neve Turnaround and extends to the stairs of Kerckhoff Hall.
Several students who have used skateboards and scooters in the dismount zone said they are frustrated by the inconvenience of not being able to roll through any more.
“I’m kind of (angry) about the enforcement. I have control of my scooter, and it makes it much faster to get places on campus,” said second-year physics student Nancy Herrera.
Herrera added that she recently started carrying her scooter through the dismount zones. She said she will try to obey the “Walk Your Wheels” zone because she doesn’t want to get a $200 ticket.
“I understand there are safety issues, but it is still an inconvenience for me,” she said.
Another student who previously used wheels said she feels apathetic toward the enforcement.
Lizzie Zweng, a third-year Design | Media Arts student, said she skateboarded on campus most of last year, but she stopped spring quarter after a UCPD officer caught her rolling through one of the stop signs on Charles E. Young Drive on the Hill.
“I understand that there is a danger and that UCPD is just trying to do its job,” Zweng said.
Eva Wilson, a second-year economics student and pedestrian, said she thinks that the new enforcement rules will make it easier for students to maneuver in the dismount zone.
Citations for violating the dismount zones will begin Monday morning.