Have you noticed the new orange scooters and bikes around campus? It’s time to take one for a Spin!
The University of Utah has teamed up with Spin—a company that provides safe, equitable, and sustainable mobility solutions for communities and campuses—to deploy e-scooters and e-bikes on campus.
This first-of-its-kind strategic partnership supports student research and micromobility on campus and provides students, employees, and visitors with an affordable and sustainable transportation option.
Why Spin?
Salt Lake City is infamous for its poor air quality. Historically, air quality has worsened in the winter when natural inversions trap particulate pollution in the valley where they accumulate to hazardous levels. As climate change and droughts intensify, however, threats to year-round air quality—like wildfires and toxic dust storms—continue to mount.
Transportation is a major contributor to both particulate pollution and to climate change. Here at the U, transportation accounts for more than 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, the University of Utah is taking bold action to address climate change, and has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve this goal, we must change the way we get from place to place. By choosing sustainable forms of transportation—like Spin—we can reduce emissions and breathe more freely.
How to ride Spin
To go for a ride, follow these four simple steps:
- Download the Spin app, available on the App Store and Google Play.
- Open the app to find the nearest scooter or e-bike, and unlock your Spin by scanning the QR code or entering its ID;
- Ride safely to your destination, using bike lanes where available.
- Park your Spin. On campus, you’re required to park in designated parking areas, which are marked as white boxes on the pavement and are also visible in the Spin mobile app.
Get $10 on Spin before Sept. 21 with the code UTAH22. After that, the cost for renting a Spin device will be $1 to unlock, plus $.29 per minute.
Spin safely
Spin riders must adhere to safety regulations outlined in University Policy 3-232 and the Spin terms and conditions. Additionally, remember to:
- Wear a helmet: Always wear a helmet to ride Spin. Is your outfit really complete without one?
- Ride sober: If you wouldn’t drive, you shouldn’t ride. Riding while under the influence of drugs or alcohol risks serious injury and may result in a DWI.
- Spin in the street: You are most visible to drivers when riding in the bike lane or street. Riding over grass, gravel, or the sidewalk edge can cause you to lose control of your scooter or fall. Stay safe, and stay off the sidewalk.
- Stay clear of large & turning vehicles: Stay back from large vehicles and stay out of blind spots: If you can’t see the driver, the driver can’t see you. Watch for vehicles entering or exiting driveways or turning in front of you at intersections.
- Obey local traffic laws: Stop at all red lights and stop signs, ride with the flow of traffic, and always yield to pedestrians. One rider per vehicle and riders must be 18+. As a rider, you have the rights and responsibilities of someone driving a car. You are just having more fun.
- Don’t block the walk: When you park your scooter or bike, be mindful of others who may have difficulties with vision or mobility, and avoid blocking sidewalks, access ramps, doorways, and bus stops. You must park in a designated parking area visible on the Spin app while on campus.
Happy Spinning! To learn more, visit the Spin page on the Commuter Services website.