Miami University issued a cease-and-desist letter to the City of Oxford on Sept. 14 regarding a tentatively-approved permit issued to Bird Rides, Inc.
Bird Rides, Inc. is an electric vehicle sharing service which provides cities and campuses with electric scooters, or e-scooters.
The letter is the next move in the growing tensions between local government and university administration over bringing rental e-scooters to the Miami-Oxford community.
The City of Oxford approves of e-scooter use in conjunction with a right-of-way permit that must be obtained by the rideshare company supplying the scooters. The scooter fleet must be no more than 500 scooters. City council passed the city rules regarding e-scooters at their Aug. 24 meeting.
In the letter, David Creamer, Miami's senior vice president for finance and business services, expressed safety concerns the university has over the use of e-scooters.
"Miami University has serious concerns about the use of e-scooters, particularly in congested pedestrian areas and on streets where buses, trucks, farm equipment and automobiles travel at speeds that are capable of causing serious injury and even death," Creamer wrote.
The letter explains that the university would like to take time to review the due diligence performed by the city as well as review the measures Bird Rides, Inc. takes to ensure the safety of e-scooter users.
In July, the university passed a policy prohibiting e-scooter use on campus.
Due to this policy, Creamer said, the university denies any responsibility or liability for damage to e-scooters on university property.
"I assume the meeting between Bird representatives and ASG (Associated Student Government) representatives will be held at an off-campus location and that neither the City nor Bird Rides, Inc. would knowingly violate University regulations," Creamer wrote.
The university expects the city to accept full responsibility for any legal and financial issues that may arise from the use of e-scooters in Oxford and on campus and will sue the city and Bird Rides, Inc. if needed to enforce the university's position.
In a meeting between the university and the City of Oxford Monday morning, the university threatened to confiscate the scooters and otherwise take any action they deemed necessary to enforce university rules, according to a source who attended the meeting.
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"The University must, at this point, put the City of Oxford and Bird Rides, Inc. on notice of our concerns and policy banning the use of e-scooters on University property," Creamer wrote.
Oxford Mayor Kate Rousmaniere is hopeful the university will come to the negotiating table to discuss public transportation in Oxford.
"Miami University and the City of Oxford are closely intertwined and are working hard on town-gown relations, and we are looking forward to furthering those with alternative forms of transportation," Rousmaniere said.
A Student Community Relations Commission meeting will be held in the LCNB National Bank Community room Uptown on Friday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. where Bird Rides, Inc. will host a presentation for the community.
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