March 12, 2020

Feedback requested on EMPV task force recommendations

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University President Mitch Daniels is asking for Purdue community feedback on a set of recommendations delivered this week from the electric and motor-powered vehicle (EMPV) task force.

The task force was charged in December by Daniels to examine existing regulations that pertain to EMPVs at Purdue and to determine how and whether those should be adjusted or expanded to address the number and seriousness of accidents involving EMPVs. More than two dozen incidents and accidents, including several that resulted in serious personal injury, were reported to Purdue police and Purdue fire during the fall semester.

“The task force has done excellent work in a short amount of time,” Daniels said. “I thank them for the effort and the thoughtful and well-researched recommendations. Our next step is to ask students, faculty and staff whether these match their sense of what would help reduce the number of incidents and close calls that we are currently seeing.”

Through a campuswide survey that garnered more than 2,200 responses, and after speaking with experts and campus planners during the past eight weeks, the task force provided to Daniels the following recommendations:

• Recommend helmets for all riders of EMPVs.

• Require front and back lights for all EMPVs after dusk, as is required for all bicycles.

• Enhance both signage and pavement markings on campus to define EMPV and pedestrian zones as noted by the bicycle master plan and implemented by facilities operations.

• Implement a 15 mph speed limit on multi-use paths, on-street bike lanes and cycle tracks.

• Recommend removal of devices that provide a distraction to an EMPV rider, such as earphones.

• Direct riders to dismount and walk in all areas marked as “pedestrian only.”

• Direct pedestrians that they should not walk on cycle tracks and only cross them when necessary.

• Recommend no-cost registration for EMPVs, similar to the registration available through PUPD for bicycles and electronic devices.

• Consider EMPV user input as multi-use paths, cycle tracks and pedestrian paths are being planned, designed and constructed.

Students, faculty and staff are urged to go to this link to provide feedback on the recommendations. The feedback link will remain open until March 27, 2020.

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2015-22 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Copyright Complaints | Maintained by Office of Strategic Communications

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact News Service at purduenews@purdue.edu.