Zoey Freedman: Steep ticketing meant to protect students walking in dismount zones

Bruin Walk has become less of a walk and more of a traffic lane with the current number of bicyclists and skateboarders.

University police started handing out $200 tickets to people riding their bicycles, scooters and skateboards in the designated dismount zone, which lies between the De Neve crosswalk and the stairs of Kerckhoff Hall. The ticket can end up being more than $200 once court and other legal fees are included.

Although this may cause frustration for those who prefer to use wheels, the safety of all students on Bruin Walk should be an understandable priority. The majority of students at UCLA walk to class every day, so the smaller fraction of students who choose to turn to wheels to shorten their commute to class can be inconvenienced for a few hundred feet to ensure the safety of their fellow students.

The goal of ticketing on Bruin Walk is not to inconvenience students or discourage environmentally-friendly habits, but to promote safety and awareness of other students.

Peeved students took it upon themselves to use chalk to draw a bike zone down Bruin Walk to suggest implementing a designated bike lane down Bruin Walk as an alternative to being ticketed.

Although designating a section of the pathway for students to use their wheels seems like a simple and feasible alternative to steep fines, it’s not. Creating a bike zone through the busiest part of campus, which is already lined with sandwich boards and tables and flooded with hundreds of students throughout the day, would reduce the much-needed space for pedestrians walking to class.

Additionally, painting a bike lane onto Bruin Walk is no guarantee that students on wheels would actually use it, especially if there is no negative consequence for taking their regular path down the middle of Bruin Walk.

That’s what makes UCPD’s ticketing useful and necessary.

UCPD officers and members of UCLA Transportation Services have been passing out fliers and warning students of the upcoming changes, so no student should be surprised about the newly implemented regulations.

Many college students struggle to make ends meet, making the thought of paying $200 for simply riding their skateboard to class a scary prospect. The new fines will serve as incentive – and if needed, punishment – for students to walk their wheels in the dismount zone.

Cities like New York and Los Angeles have implemented expensive fines as incentive for citizens to do simple things like pay their bus and metro fair. In New York City, officials began regulating buses by fining nonpaying riders up to $100. In Los Angeles, riders who choose to not pay the $1.75 metro fare can be fined up to $250 along with 48 hours of community service.

Although these fines seem excessive for such small infractions, they serve as an expensive reason to obey rules that preserve safety and the continuity of public services.

Additionally, the fines and regulations for the dismount zone are not being set by UCPD, but rather the Los Angeles County Superior Court. This means the dismount zone fees are collected by the city, not UCLA. The dismount zone is a city regulation regarding pedestrian safety, not a ploy by UCLA to make extra money.

The fines for riding in the dismount zone are needed to ensure students obey the rules. Although a few students may face an unfortunate ticketing for forgetting to walk in the dismount zone, they will serve as the example needed for others. Without fines in place, students wouldn’t feel the need to change their ways or obey the rules.

Although steep, the newly implemented fees will serve as an ominous reminder for students to keep the walk in Bruin Walk.