Commissioner seeks UGA follow-up after campus ban on wheeled travel; university liaison says planning grant may fund study

A member of the Athens in Motion Commission reported a recent informal meeting with a University of Georgia official about the university's new rolling plan, which restricts scooters and other wheeled travel on many campus pathways and has pushed bicycle traffic to perimeter roads that lack continuous protected lanes.

Art (commissioner) said he met with Dan Silk of UGA to convey concerns that the plan effectively forces people who ride bikes across campus to use Lumpkin or East Campus roads that are not consistently protected. "I reached out to Dan and got an appointment and it was very, very friendly and really uplifting," Art said. "I think he's very sympathetic to the concerns that I expressed."

Commissioners and staff discussed possible short-term accommodations such as permitting bicycles on campus during off-peak hours, using green pavement markings to indicate bike continuations where lanes end, and creating an advisory group composed of students, staff and faculty to work with the university. Art said Dan indicated a campus planning grant — a 10-year planning effort — could support community engagement and infrastructure planning tied to campus safety and alternative transportation.

Erin Redmond (policy and projects) clarified that not all streets on campus are closed to bicycles: main streets such as Baldwin remain open but the map distributed by UGA reflected a large central area that restricts wheeled travel, she said.

Commissioners asked staff to invite a UGA representative back to a future meeting — possibly the October cycle or January if additional data is needed — so the commission can receive updates on user data, enforcement and future campus engagement plans.

No formal action or vote occurred; commissioners encouraged continued dialogue between the university and the city advisory body.