Motorcycle and scooter users on campus will have to find a new place to park this semester.
This fall, the Division of Public Safety has banned scooter and motorcycle parking on campus due to a recent influx of scooters in the area.
The rule stems from a city ordinance stating that motor vehicles cannot be parked on sidewalks or on private property without consent.
Since Penn is considered private property, and DPS considers motorcycles and scooters "motor vehicles," Penn Police can enforce this rule on campus.
Capt. Joseph Fischer of Penn Police said the stepped-up enforcement stems from an increased number of scooters and motorcycles on campus over the summer.
"What we started to recognize, especially with the rise in gas prices, is that people turned to alternative methods of transportation, like scooters and motorcycles," he said.
But while DPS "believes very much in the green philosophy of the University," Fischer said, the enforcement of the policy stems from safety concerns over the proximity of these vehicles to campus buildings.
"The further the vehicles are from buildings, the better off we are," said Penn Police Chief Mark Dorsey.
Fischer cited a major fire in Conshohocken on Aug. 13 that destroyed 180 apartments in a large complex as incentive to avoid any dangerous fire conditions at Penn. That blaze was caused by molten metal and sparks from a welding torch that was left near the site.
DPS officials say they want to prevent such a devastating incident from occurring at Penn.
"We're trying to be proactive," said DPS spokeswoman Stef Cella.
Penn Police began enforcing the new policy over the summer, though citations were not issued until after the school year began.
"Once we saw it happening, there was an educational period," Dorsey said.
This period involved informing students of the new policies through verbal warnings and written notices.
Penn is not the only school to have recently begun enforcing these types of laws.
The University of Arkansas Police Department also began enforcing existing motor vehicle laws on campus this fall.
An added benefit of the new policy, Dorsey said, is for bicycle owners. Prohibiting scooter and motorcycle parking frees up more space in the bike racks for bicycles.
Dorsey said DPS is working with Business Services to create designated motorcycle and scooter areas in parking garages and lots on campus, as well as to make this parking affordable for students.
Dorsey added that there are plenty of places to park motorcycles and scooters - they just "might not be next to the building you're working at."
