Campus, News

Wheels up, feet down

Cal State Long Beach students walk past a “slow your roll” sign that signifies that the area is a pedestrian-only zone Tuesday afternoon.
Trang Le
Cal State Long Beach students walk past a “slow your roll” sign that signifies that the area is a pedestrian-only zone Tuesday afternoon.

Students coasting across campus on skateboards or scootering their way to class now have more than crowded walkways and narrow turns slowing their trips. Across campus, signs featuring Kevin Hart, a posed lemur and “pedestrian zone” warnings are set up to keep congestion to a minimum.

The Risk Management Department of Cal State Long Beach has received complaints from employees who have been injured in accidents involving skateboards or bicycles. There were 45 accidents during the 2014-2015 school year, and 52 accidents in 2015-2106.

The signs are placed in the pedestrian-only areas throughout the campus, where it make the most sense to walk rather than ride, Michael Uhlenkamp, CSULB’s executive director of news and digital media said.

These areas include the walkway behind Brotman Hall, the hallway between the Liberal Arts buildings and near the lower level of the University Student Union.

Coasting devicesare convenient for most students who use them many students commute by bike or skateboard. Therefore, many use them on campus to get from one class to the next.

Senior history major Cameron Murphy said he brings his skateboard whenever he is on campus because it’s usually quicker to get around.

When Murphy noticed the signs go up, he said chose to respect the sign when there are a lot of pedestrians around. “When there is a ton of people, [I won’t skate],” he said. “When there’s not so many people around, I will [skateboard].

CSULB spent $2,500 dollars manufacturing the signs, while Associated Students Inc. and Student Union representatives chose where to place them.

I think they’re funny and they draw people’s attention but, I dont know if theyre super effective to everyone,” sophomore psychology major Samantha Sanders said.“But I do see less riders due to the signs.

Within the last two years, the CSULB University Police Department has received 243 complaints about skateboarders and bicyclists on campus, according to Uhlenkamp.

The signage is not the university trying to ban cruise devicesfrom the campus grounds, but to have the people who use them respect the area they decide to ride through, according to some students, according to some students.

It does [bother me] especially when [skaters] get in my way, but if they tend to kind of go to see where people are going and theyll stop and go around,junior child development major, Karina Cortez said about skaters rolling through crowds.
This was seen as a good investment to ASI and the USU Representatives before making this act of cruising through pedestrian areas to a legal, undesirable, option of citing anyone who decides to roll on campus.

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