7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1)    I would like focus on the opportunity that comes from a lack of separate scooter trails in UF and many other schools.

2)    Colleges in the United States that have a large amount of the student body riding scooters on a regular basis do not have roads or trails specifically for scooters because it would require a large construction effort.

WHO: Owners of scooters/mopeds who wish to have a separate road from cars.

WHAT: Those who ride scooters are subject to danger and heavy traffic when they have to share the road with cars.

WHY: Separate roads for scooters would require a large disruption and construction on campus.

3)    Testing the who: This applies to college students with scooters, but there are also many non-students who ride scooters. This would also benefit those who drive cars by significantly reducing traffic around campus.

Testing the what: What vehicles would be allowed to use this road and how would there be a safe and efficient way to get in them from the road? The trails could accommodate motor vehicles that have a certain max speed to include vehicles like golf carts. As for entrance and exit from the road, there could be specific turn lanes from the road as well as entrances near scooter parking spots.

Testing the why: Some may be weary of the large construction project, but this is a prevalent enough issue to justify what would probably be just a summer session of construction.

4)    In my interviews, I tried to ask not only students but also local residents. I was surprised to hear one student think it wouldn’t help much with the traffic, but for the most part all of those whom I interviewed thought that separate scooter roads would ultimately benefit owners of scooters. The resident I interviewed was pretty indifferent about the idea, since she does not own a scooter or live very close to campus, but when I asked her if she would rather drive with or without scooters on the road, she said she felt much more content when it was just cars on the road because she feels like she needs to check her car’s blind spots “at least three times when [she] has to drive through UF.” When I asked if my interviewees thought the construction would be a huge disruption, the students just about unanimously agreed that it would not be, referencing the construction of multiple apartment buildings recently.

5)    After speaking to these people, I realize that a lot of people were unsure about the possibility of the idea. They think it sounds like a great idea in prospect but something that would be too huge to pull off. However, once I spoke to them about how the process would go and listed potential places throughout UF’s campus that would be good for scooter paths and reminded them how bad traffic can get, they warmed up a lot to the idea. I think the largest barrier to this opportunity is just people’s hesitation to accept the idea.