They appear silently in one’s peripheral vision, sweeping past and weaving their way through pedestrians on campus sidewalks. In the past couple of years, electric scooters have become ubiquitous at Notre Dame — even on snowy winter days.
E-scooters move noiselessly, sometimes startling walkers engaged in conversation, engrossed in their cellphones or wearing earbuds. With some models capable of speeds higher than 20 miles per hour, close calls between scooter riders and those relying on foot power are common.
“Walk your wheels: Pedestrian zone,” a sign in the Hesburgh Library concourse warns owners who might see that long, open expanse as tailor-made for their wheeled conveyances. Similar notices appear in buildings all over campus, reminding students not to park scooters in foyers or near staircases where they might trip or block people. In November, the Notre Dame Police Department launched an “Eyes Up Irish” campaign urging everyone — pedestrians, motorists and scooter and bicycle riders — to pay attention to their surroundings in order to stay safe.
Photography by Matt Cashore ’94 and Barbara Johnston.
