Memos

As gasoline prices have risen, an increasing number of students, faculty, and staff are commuting to campus on bicycles, mopeds, and other forms of personal conveyance. To accommodate the growing number of such vehicles, Facilities Operations has installed new bicycle racks near a number of campus buildings. Jeff Severin of the KU Center for Sustainability will be working with Facilities Operations and Design and Construction Management to identify locations where additional racks are needed. If you have suggestions, email them to jseverin@ku.edu.

Please note that University policy permits the removal of bicycles, mopeds, scooters, and similar vehicles if the vehicles obstruct access to or use of university facilities or interfere with the ability of University staff members to perform routine landscaping or snow removal duties. The latter occurs when vehicles are secured to light poles, trees, or signposts rather than to bicycle racks. The policy also provides for removal of bicycles or other vehicles that are in disrepair and appear to have been abandoned. The full policy is reproduced below.

Policy on Removal of Items that Obstruct Access to or Use of University Facilities
University of Kansas, Lawrence

Bicycles and vehicles such as mopeds, scooters, and other items of personal conveyance should be properly secured on the bicycle racks that are provided throughout campus for that purpose. It is a violation of University policy if these items are not properly secured and/or are left in places such that they obstruct access to or use of University facilities, including sidewalks, ramps, stairways, handrails, doorways, and halls. In the event they obstruct access to areas, these items are subject to removal without notice. In addition, items that impede landscape services or snow removal by being secured to trees, light poles, sign posts or impede other types of access routes will be subject to removal.

Further, bicycles, mopeds, scooters and similar means of transportation should be maintained in operational condition. Annually, during the first week of May, Facilities Operations will identify bicycles, vehicles or other items that are in disrepair, including those properly secured to bicycle racks. Facilities Operations will place notices on these items informing the owners that if the items are not repaired or removed by owners within 72 hours they will be subject to removal by Facilities Operations or a towing service notified for that purpose.

Locks and chains may be cut and the removed bicycle or conveyance may be impounded. Any removed bicycles, mopeds or scooters will be stored, at University request, by a vehicle towing service. The owner will be responsible for reclaiming the vehicle and paying any fees assessed by the towing service.

The Academic Achievement and Access Center (AAAC) responds to student complaints about policy violations; the Department of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity (HR/EO) responds to faculty and staff complaints. Upon request from AAAC or HR/EO, Facilities Operations directs the removal of obstructions. The Public Safety Office will provide officers to witness removals.

Approved by the Executive Vice Chancellor on November 6, 1991; updated and approved by the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor on October 20, 2005 and August 22, 2007.