Scooter News

Lime launches e-scooters on campus for students at SMU Dallas

Of course there's no graffiti at SMU but you get the idea.

Photo by Lime

There's a new frontier in Dallas that's about to be conquered by e-scooters: Lime is launching its Lime-S electric scooters on the campus of Southern Methodist University.

According to a release, Lime, in conjunction with SMU's student government organization, will provide SMU with scooters, per the students' request.

Students wanted the latest in mobility options on campus, so now they'll be able to scoot to classes, the library and across campus.

A college campus seems ready-made for scootering. Walking those long distances across the quad is so hard, and firing up the Jeep is a hassle.

Riding will be permitted on SMU's campus, but it is prohibited in the rest of University Park, per city ordinance.

Helmets are strongly encouraged.

The initial period permits scooter usage at SMU through June 30. SMU and the City of University Park will review the initial findings, and then determine whether to permit scooters beyond this period.

Lime currently has formal agreements with UT Austin, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M-San Antonio.

They also operate without a specific agreement on a number of other campuses including UT-San Antonio, and the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Sam Antonio seems very big on e-scooters.

Since Lime's first launch in June 2017, the company has expanded to five continents, in more than 100 cities, and deployed many wheels including electric scooters, electric-assist bikes, and their standard pedal bike.

E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

Unsplash

Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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