Boston College will ban e-scooters and other electric transportation devices on campus starting Dec. 22, according to an email BC administrators sent on Wednesday.
“A number of BC students have suffered injuries from e-scooter falls, and such accidents have caused serious injuries on college campuses across the country,” the email reads.
The email, sent by Vice President for Student Affairs Shawna Cooper Whitehead, Vice President for Human Resources David Trainor, and Executive Director of Public Safety William Evans, said the ban results from increased administrative concern about the safety of riders, pedestrians, and building occupants.
The University will prohibit the use, storage, and charging of these devices—including hoverboards and e-skateboards—on all of its property to promote safety, according to the email.
“Many faculty, staff, and students have reported near-collisions and limited access to facilities because of scooters, and recharging lithium batteries in such vehicles has resulted in numerous fires around the United States,” the email reads.
Ryan Swords, MCAS ’25, said he disagrees with the University’s decision to ban electric transportation devices.
“I don’t think they should tell us what to do because it’s really not any of their business,” Swords said. “You drive cars around all the time, they don’t really care about that. People are allowed to have scooters, skateboards, whatever they want.”
Other students, however, believe the scooters are dangerous and support the administrative ban.
“Honestly, it’s pretty dangerous in my opinion because I see [students riding] very fast downhill while I’m walking alone,” said Ella Yu, CSOM ’26, said.
Bethelhem Kebede, MCAS ’26, added that e-scooters are also a hazard for the riders themselves.
“I think it is dangerous—not just for us, but for the people who are riding or moving on them, especially when it’s a rainy day or there’s snow,” Kebede said.
BC joins UPenn and Marquette in banning motorized scooters, while other Boston schools—including Harvard, BU, and MIT—allow students to use e-scooters on campus.
The ban does not apply to electric bicycle users as long as they comply with traffic regulations, properly store their vehicles, and do not bring them into any BC facility, according to the email. The ban does not apply to mobility aids for individuals with disabilities.
In the email, BC administrators also urged individuals who possess any electric transportation devices to bring them home as they depart for Winter Break.
“Such items found on campus after Dec. 22 will be impounded, and users will be subject to University sanctions,” the email reads.
The administrators concluded the email by requesting the BC community’s compliance with the new policy.
“We ask for understanding and cooperation regarding this decision, and that you join us in helping keep our campus community as safe as possible,” the email reads.
