Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Wheels

Learn more about adhering to MIT’s guidelines if you have Personal Wheels on campus.

Introduction to Personal Wheels (PWs)
Riding PWs on campus
Parking and storage
Registration and UL certification
Charging and fire safety on campus
Commuter benefits
Looking ahead

Introduction to Personal Wheels (PWs)

What is a PW, and which ones are subject to MIT’s PW guidelines?

Your PW (Personal Wheels) is any personal transportation device or vehicle, with or without a motor and/or battery, such as a bicycle, scooter, hoverboard, skateboard, unicycle, in-line skates, or other self-balancing personal transport device. The PW guidelines apply to any and all of these devices.

The guidelines do not apply to wheeled devices designed for and used by individuals with mobility-related disabilities.
A motorized wheeled vehicle with a 50cc engine or larger (including many mopeds) qualifies as a motorcycle and is not a PW in this context.

Why has MIT established these guidelines?

MIT has seen a sharp increase in the number and use of motorized and non-motorized Personal Wheels on campus. A few problems began to emerge with this trend, including collisions, falls, and clogged classroom aisles and corridors. The PW guidelines are designed to support PW use while alleviating these problems, helping our community avoid hazards, maintain clear egress pathways, and reduce the risk of fire.

How long will these guidelines be in effect?

The guidelines will remain in effect while a more permanent policy is being considered. They will also be updated if new guidance or regulations are issued by the City of Cambridge or Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Is MIT going to ban motorized PWs from campus?

The Institute is monitoring policy developments in the City of Cambridge and the Commonwealth regarding PW use and storage. We are also monitoring activity on the MIT campus and considering what policies will best serve the needs and safety of our community. MIT’s PW guidelines were developed to minimize the risk to our community while this review is underway. If you have thoughts on future plans, please contact the Parking & Transportation Office.

Does my regular bike count as a PW?

MIT's PW guidelines apply to all bicycles, with and without motors.

Per my doctor’s recommendation, I use an electric scooter to accommodate a temporary mobility/health issue. Do the PW guidelines apply to me?

MIT’s PW guidelines do not apply to wheeled devices designed for and used by individuals with mobility-related disabilities or medical conditions.

I designed my own device that I use for transportation around campus. Do the PW guidelines apply to this?

MIT’s PW guidelines apply to any personal transportation device, including anything you designed yourself, with or without a motor or batteries, unless it is designed for and used to accommodate a mobility-related disability.

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Riding PWs on campus

What are the most important things to know about riding a PW on campus?

Do not operate any PW inside any Institute building or parking structure on campus at any time.
Use bike lanes and yield to pedestrians in every situation, including at crosswalks; they have the right of way.
Look out for yourself and others! Help maintain rider and pedestrian safety.

If you’re a rider, wear a helmet, have a good braking system, keep your speed reasonable, signal and announce your turns, and always provide audible warnings when passing pedestrians.
If you’re a pedestrian, keep your eyes and ears open, be aware of PWs around you, and stay on the sidewalk (don’t walk in the bike lanes).

Do state and city road and traffic laws apply to PWs?

Traffic laws and regulations have been established for several types of PWs by the Commonwealth and by the City of Cambridge. You can find information about state laws here and the Cambridge laws here.

To maintain safety for riders, pedestrians, and drivers alike, you should follow all established traffic laws and regulations, and use common sense! For example:

Stop your PW at all red lights and stop signs.
Don’t ride your PW against (facing) traffic or the wrong way on a one-way street.
Observe all posted speed limits.

Be aware that Massachusetts prohibits texting while biking – and riders who wear headphones or earbuds can only wear them in one ear.
Note also that cycling or riding on the sidewalk is prohibited in certain neighborhoods of Cambridge. At any location or in any neighborhood where Cambridge has prohibited cyclists from the sidewalk, the restriction applies to all self-powered and motorized PWs.

Does Cambridge have additional traffic regulations for PWs with motors?

Massachusetts and the City of Cambridge have both established more comprehensive restrictions for some PWs with motors (refer to Article XXIII Regulations for motorized scooters on pp. 51-52 of the Cambridge Traffic Regulations), including:

Wear a helmet
No passengers
No operation on sidewalks, recreational bike paths, parks, playgrounds, or other City-owned recreational facilities
No operation after dark
No operation by anyone under the age of 16
No operation under the influence of alcohol
No traveling at a speed greater than 25 mph, and no traveling on any road with a posted speed limit greater than 30 mph

Are PWs allowed on the shuttles at MIT?

Skateboards, folding kick scooters, and folding bicycles (with or without a motor) are allowed on most MIT campus shuttles (Tech Shuttle, Tech Shuttle +NW, Boston Daytime, EZRide, and SafeRide), provided the following safety precautions are observed:

The scooter, bicycle, or skateboard must fit in your lap or in front of your seat.
Keep your PW secured in front of you at your seat at all times.
Do not take up additional seats with your PW.
Do not let your PW obstruct or take up space in the aisle. PWs must not impede movement or prevent access for any rider in the shuttle.

If a shuttle rider with a PW is not complying with the safety precautions, the shuttle operator may ask that rider to either comply or disembark.

My PW is small, but it doesn’t fold. Can I bring it on to the shuttle?

Only skateboards, folding kick scooters, and folding bicycles (with or without a motor) are allowed on MIT campus shuttles, and the safety precautions described above must be observed.

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Parking and storage

Where should I park my PW on campus?

Park your PW outside at one of the outdoor bike racks provided by MIT (use a heavy-duty U-lock for security). Some racks are located under overhangs or in breezeways, including those outside Buildings 3, 26, and 39.

What if there are no spaces available in the rack and/or my PW doesn’t fit in a bike rack?

Lock your PW with a heavy-duty U-lock outside to the best available option.

Avoid obstructing any entrance, exit, sidewalk, stairway, alley, road, path, passageway, or stairway.
Do not attach and/or cause damage to campus artwork, trees, landscaping, plantings, and/or infrastructure (such as benches or railings).
Be careful not to place a PW where it might impede the movement of persons with disabilities or violate any other federal, state, or local fire and safety regulations and/or parking regulations.

Can I store my PW indoors?

On the MIT campus, a PW owner is only authorized to park or store their PW indoors under the following conditions:

A motorized PW can only be stored or charged indoors if the PW, its charging cord, and any other charging equipment are UL certified, and the PW can only be stored indoors in the owner's residential room or personal office. Review all details for motorized PWs (including charging procedures) here.
A non-motorized PW can only be parked or stored indoors if it is in your residential room, your personal office, or in a bike storage area.
If your PW doesn’t have a motor or battery, check with your House Operations Manager, Director of Administration and Finance, or Facilities Manager to learn if any additional appropriate storage facilities may be available to you.

My personal office is only a cubicle. If my PW is allowed indoors [is non-motorized or is motorized, UL certified, and registered], can I store it in my cubicle?

Check with your building manager to see what other storage options are available. Keep in mind that a PW stored indoors should be fully contained and out of the way so it doesn’t block an aisle or passageway.

Can I ride my PW indoors?

Don’t ride inside! Walk your PW to your room or office, and do not park it in any classroom, lobby, hallway, stairwell, lab, group space, or common area, even briefly.

Improperly operated, stored, or parked PWs are subject to removal by the MIT Police and/or a representative from the Parking & Transportation Office. If your PW has been removed, contact Parking & Transportation.

Is there someone I can call if I observe a PW parked in a common area or operated in an unsafe manner?

Contact the Parking & Transportation Office for assistance with a non-urgent PW safety issue. If you see a parked PW that is blocking a pathway and/or could prevent egress, contact MIT Police at 617-253-1212. Campus residents can consult with their House Operations Manager regarding concerns in a campus residence.

I have a guest visiting who has a PW. Where should my guest park?

Your guest can park the PW outside as described above. If the PW has no motor, it can be parked in your residential room or office, provided the guest walks it to your room or office. Guests can’t bring motorized PWs indoors.

If my motorized PW is stored indoors, could it cause a fire?

Motorized PWs pose a significant fire risk, particularly when they are improperly charged or overcharged, or if the battery is defective or in poor physical condition. Park your PW outside if possible, and always follow MIT’s specific safety procedures when you charge it.

Can I park my non-motorized PW in a secure outdoor bike storage area?

If you want to use one of the three secure PW storage areas maintained on campus by the Parking & Transportation Office, request access when you fill out your registration form, and access capabilities will be added electronically to your MIT ID.

Only registered, non-motorized PWs have access to these storage areas, which can be found at the following locations:

Behind Building 13
In Building E37 (Hayward Garage)
In Building E62 (Sloan Garage)

Also check with your House Operations Manager, Director of Administration and Finance, or Facilities Manager to learn what additional storage facilities may be available to you.

My PW is missing from where I parked it! What should I do?

Check with the Parking & Transportation Office. An improperly parked (or seemingly abandoned) PW is subject to removal by Parking & Transportation and/or the MIT Police.

If you suspect your PW has been stolen on the MIT campus, contact the MIT Police at 617-253-1212. (For off-campus locations, contact the local police.)
MIT (including MIT Police and the Parking & Transportation Office) is not responsible for any alleged damage to or missing accessories/equipment from an impounded PW.

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Registration and UL certification

Do I have to register my PW with the MIT Parking & Transportation Office?

Registration with Parking & Transportation is required for any PW with a motor and/or battery that is stored and/or charged on campus.

Only UL-certified motorized PWs can be registered (certification info is required on the form). Charging equipment and/or batteries must be UL certified, too.
Registration of PWs without motors is recommended, as it can deter theft or facilitate the recovery of your PW if it is stolen. Registration of nonmotorized PWs also provides access to commuting benefits for qualifying commuters.
Registration data will help us gain a better understanding of PW use on campus so we may invest resources more thoughtfully. It will also allow us to communicate directly with PW operators to share important information about regulation/policy changes, amenities, and safety.

I already registered my bike with MIT. Do I have to register it again?

Please submit a new registration form for any motorized bikes that were registered before we launched this pilot program in June 2024. Registrations for non-motorized bikes are still valid and do not require a new registration.

How do I register my PW?

Register your PW online here.
If your PW is non-motorized, your registration sticker will be mailed to you within a few days (if you chose that option when registering) or you will receive an email letting you know the registration sticker is ready to be picked up at the Atlas Service Center.
If your PW is motorized, find the UL-certification label, sticker, or mark on your PW, its charging cord, and any separate battery and charging assembly.

For the registration form, you need a UL file number (“E" plus six digits) for the PW and each component.
The UL file number is on the certification mark, which may be found on a black-and-white sticker or label, a holographic label, or embossed directly onto a component. On batteries and chargers, the UL mark may be one of several marks on a label, and the UL file number may be very small.
The Parking & Transportation team will verify the UL certification information.
When your registration sticker is ready to be picked up, you will receive an email notification to bring the PW and all charging components to the Atlas Service Center for inspection.

I don't think my PW is UL certified. What should I do about registration?

You can fill out the registration form even if your PW isn’t UL certified. The information you provide will give us a more comprehensive overview of PW ownership and use on campus and help us plan for the future. Note also that some PWs have retroactive UL certification and may not bear an obvious UL mark.

What should I do if my PW is certified by a lab other than UL?

Although we won’t be able to register your PW through the pilot program at this time, it will help us if you fill out the “Motorized (not UL certified)” section of the registration form. Your information will inform the process as we refine the program.

What does a UL-certification mark look like?

A typical UL-certification mark on a PW is a square, holographic label bearing a genuine UL mark and a UL file number (a capital “E” plus six digits).

The electrical bike label reads “Electrical systems for e-bicycles" and notes UL standard 2849.
On other micromobility devices, the label refers to either “Electrical systems for personal e-mobility” or “Electrical systems for self-balancing scooters” and notes UL standard 2272.
On scooters, the label can often be found underneath the deck that runs from the front wheel to the back one.

I can’t find a UL certification mark or number on my PW. Are there other ways to check UL certification?

If you have reason to believe your PW is UL certified, even though you aren’t able to find the certification mark, you can search for your PW in the database of UL certifications maintained by Underwriter Laboratories (UL).

First, determine the name of the manufacturer (most likely this won’t be a name you recognize, as most PWs are manufactured by companies in China) and the model name and/or model or MPN number for your PW (not the make/brand).

If you can’t locate this information in the manual, on the packaging, or online, reach out to the seller/distributor.

Then search this list of certified PWs from the UL database of certifications using the name of your PW’s manufacturer. (Use COMMAND+F on a Mac or CTRL+F on a PC to open a search box in the PDF.)

For example, Gotrax PWs are manufactured by Zhejiang Taotao Vehicles, and “Zhejiang Taotao” should be your search term.

On the manufacturer’s page, search for your specific model. A company that makes UL-certified models may also make some that aren’t UL certified.

For example, the Gotrax XR Elite Max is UL certified and can be found on the Zhejiang Taotao page. However, the Gotrax Atlas is not certified and is not on the page.
If you can’t find the model name, look for the model or MPN number on the manufacturer’s page.

If you find your PW on the page, the UL file number (E plus six digits) you need for registration can be found at the bottom of the page.

If you are still having trouble finding a UL mark on your PW and you have reason to believe your PW is UL certified, contact the Parking & Transportation Office to explain your situation and get more information.

Parking & Transportation staff can only help if you’ve already gone through the steps above.
Be aware that a PW marketed as “tested to/in accordance with” a UL standard is likely not UL certified. Conversely, some PWs obtain retroactive UL certification and may not bear an obvious UL mark.

What is UL certification?

Underwriter Laboratories (UL) is a global safety science company and is the largest and oldest independent testing laboratory in the United States. Through rigorous testing, UL develops and sets industry-wide safety standards for new products. UL-certified components are manufactured to a higher level of quality and have been shown to reduce the risk of fire, accidents, or injuries.

Three UL standards apply to PWs and their charging equipment: UL 2849 (for the electrical system, integrated battery, and/or additional charging equipment of an electric bike), UL 2272 (for the electrical system, integrated battery, and/or additional charging equipment of any other personal e-mobility device), and UL 2271 (for any additional/surplus battery designed for any electric bike or personal e-mobility device).
A PW that is UL certified bears a UL certification mark (usually on a label) indicating that the product has been tested by UL or another Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) accredited by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and that it meets the applicable UL standard.
Chargers and other charging equipment have a UL certification mark on a sticker or embossed into the body of the component.
In December 2022, the CPSC called on all PW manufacturers and importers to adhere to UL safety standards.
Many new PWs are UL 2272-certified, and the CPSC is moving toward proposing mandatory safety requirements for PWs and their batteries.

Why does my motorized PW have to be UL certified?

UL certification ensures that your PW has been tested and meets specific, industry-wide electrical and fire safety standards – and is therefore safer to use and store on MIT’s campus.

I’m planning to buy a PW. How do I make sure that it’s UL certified?

The UL website offers purchasing guidance, including the recommendation that you check the product for its UL certification mark and verify its status on the UL database. In addition, be sure to buy a PW with the legitimate certification mark, not one that claims on its packaging to have been “tested to/in accordance with” a UL standard. The UL website offers lists of manufacturers who make UL-certified e-bikes and other PWs.

I have a guest visiting me, and the guest has a motorized PW. Does my guest have to register the PW, and does it have to be UL certified?

Visitors who plan to bring their motorized PWs to campus must park them outside. The guest’s PW does not need to be registered, and the guest is not required to provide UL certification information.

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Charging and fire safety on campus

Can I charge my PW at MIT?

Charging PWs is not allowed on the MIT campus with the exception of UL-certified PWs that have been registered with the Parking & Transportation Office.

Additionally, the PW may only be charged if the following safety procedures are observed, provided by the CPSC and the National Fire Protection Association:

The PW and its charger cord and/or any separate battery and charging equipment should bear a mark (usually on a label) from a nationally recognized testing lab showing certification in compliance with the applicable UL standard (UL 2271, 2272, or 2849) and/or must be listed in the UL database of certifications.
When charging the PW or a separate battery, use only the UL-certified charging equipment sold with the original PW (or UL-certified replacement equipment designed specifically by the manufacturer as an approved replacement part). In addition:

Ensure that no flammable or combustible materials are near the charging equipment.
Inspect any separate battery for any defects (such as dents or swelling) before charging it, and don’t use or charge it if these conditions exist. Always inspect the battery regularly prior to use, even when fully charged.
Don’t use an extension cord while charging the PW.
Don’t leave a PW or battery unattended while it is charging, and don’t charge any PW or battery overnight. Check the PW or battery regularly for overheating, and stop charging immediately if the PW or battery is hot to the touch.
Don’t overcharge the PW or battery; disconnect it if the device is fully charged.
Don’t charge more than one PW or battery on a circuit at one time.
Don’t charge the PW or battery in direct sunlight.
View Rider Guide’s charging tips and lithium-ion battery safety guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

Is there someone I can call if I observe a PW charging in an unsafe manner?

If you see a PW that may pose a fire hazard, contact MIT Police at 617-253-1212 immediately. If the issue is less urgent, contact the Parking & Transportation Office for assistance. Campus residents can also contact their House Operations Manager for help with a concern in a campus residence.

What are the concerns with charging PWs?

The lithium-ion batteries installed on certain PWs have been associated with extremely hot fires and even explosions, as well as the release of toxic gases. Many of these events can be traced to charging issues. Injuries from PWs are rising rapidly, and more than 230 PW-related deaths occurred between 2017 and 2022. Following MIT’s safety procedures for charging will reduce the risk that your PW could cause a fire.

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Campus services and bike commuter benefits

What is the commuter benefit program for cyclists at MIT?

Full-time benefits-eligible MIT employees who commute to work by bicycle are eligible to apply for reimbursement of qualified cycling expenses. The benefit is only available to cyclists and does not include other PWs at this time. See the MIT Bicycle Commuter Reimbursement Program for more information.

Can I get a discounted Bluebikes membership through MIT?

Current on-campus MIT employees and students can buy subsidized annual Bluebikes memberships. Follow these instructions to sign up or renew as a member of the MIT group. Learn more about Bluebikes.

Can PW commuters use the showers at DAPER?

For MIT employees who commute to work using a PW, DAPER offers a discounted limited-access membership designed specifically to ease your commute. Stop by the Zesiger Center for an early morning workout and/or shower, Monday-Friday, 6:00 AM–9:00 AM. Learn more on the DAPER site.

Shower facilities may also be available in the building where you work; check with your Director of Administration and Finance for more information.

Where are the bike fix-it stations around campus, and what do they offer?

There are eight bicycle fix-it stations on campus to help bicycle commuters maintain their bicycles for more efficient and safe commuting. Each fix-it station is equipped with an air pump and basic hand tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches, and tire levers, some of which may also be useful to commuters using different PWs. The fix-it stations are located by the following buildings:

Building 13 (along MIT.nano corridor)
Building 32
Basement of Building 32
Building E15
Building E51
Building NW35
Building W35
Building W85

To find a fix-it station, check out the MIT bike map.

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