Photo Credit: Savannah Cole

University of Georgia police will start ticketing Bird e-scooter riders on Friday if they break traffic laws, the university announced in a campus-wide email this morning.

“For the last 10 days, the University Police Department has engaged in an effort to educate scooter riders about the applicable laws,” an Archnews email said. “Moving forward, individuals violating traffic code — including riding scooters on sidewalks — may be cited, which could lead to fines of $185, plus associated court fees.”

That revenue goes to Athens-Clarke County, not UGA, the email noted.

The email was accompanied by a video of Bird riders weaving in and out of traffic, riding on the wrong side of the road and riding on sidewalks—all illegal behavior. State law requires scooter riders to obey the same traffic laws as drivers. 

Athens-Clarke County police issued verbal warnings for several days after Bird dropped more than 130 scooters on Athens without notice, but started ticketing violators last week.

UGA's warning comes two days before the football team's home opener, when traffic will swell as tens of thousands of people pour into town.