• Establish proper safety procedures and practices for the use of service cart vehicles on campus, and departmental responsibilities. 

• Set a procurement policy and develop a standard set of specifications for these vehicles. 

• Set clear expectations for total cost of ownership (i.e. charging, parking, enclosures, and maintenance). 

• Promote and provide a safer environment for students, employees, and visitors. 

• Encourage more sustainable transportation on campus. 

• Provide background information about the purpose of service cart use.

“Service carts” means low-speed vehicles and other small, motorized, three- or more-wheeled vehicles, including electric carts. Examples include delivery carts, landscape maintenance carts, and courtesy carts used to conduct campus tours, among others. 

“Service carts” means low-speed vehicles and other small, motorized, three- or more-wheeled vehicles, including electric carts. Examples include delivery carts, landscape maintenance carts, and courtesy carts used to conduct campus tours, among others. 

Employees and agents of the University 

• Students, faculty, and staff of Colorado State University must be a minimum age of 18 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate a service cart on campus. 

Contractors or subcontractors 

• Service carts associated with construction activities are confined to the construction site and are not allowed for general campus movement. 

Conference guests with special permission 

• Special permission to operate a service cart on campus can be sought through Conference and Event Services for service carts associated with university-sanctioned events and activities. 

• Safe driving and operation of university-owned service carts is the responsibility of the operator.  

• Rules, regulations, and statutes that govern all vehicles using public roadways also pertain to service carts on campus.  

• Operators will adhere to state motor/traffic laws. They must obey university regulations pertaining to vehicles. 

• The operator is responsible for the safety of passengers riding in the vehicle.  

• The operator may be held responsible for careless operation of service cart leading to passenger injuries.  

• In some instances, the operator may be held responsible and ticketed for the behavior or actions of the passengers (i.e. riding in the bed, standing up, or leaning out of a moving cart), in accordance with the CSU Traffic Education and Enforcement regulations. 

• Cell phone usage while driving is prohibited. 

• Entertainment headsets and earphones are not allowed when operating service carts. 

• Service carts may not be used for personal business. 

• The operator will immediately report all accidents or incidents to their immediate supervisor. The supervisor must forward the report to the department head and the Office of Risk Management and Insurance. Risk Management provides a University Vehicle Accident Report form for this purpose.  

• Operators and/or individual departments are responsible for damages to University property.  

• Operators are held responsible for tickets or citations involving a moving violation or a parking violation. Departments are held accountable for identifying the operator. 

• Departments are responsible for providing proper cart identification: the name of the department and the University ID must be prominently displayed on the cart per Transportation Services standards.  

• Registration of all vehicles is required, and is managed and issued through Transportation Services.  

• Departments will obtain routine inspection of vehicles by Transportation Services (once a year by a qualified service technician). Documentation, maintenance, and timely completion of repairs is required. 

• Departments will immediately remove from service any vehicle that is unsafe to operate until it has been repaired. 

• Other than when operational needs dictate, operators must park service carts on improved surfaces (gravel, concrete, asphalt, or pavers) and may not drive or park on any grassy areas, plants, or landscaping.  

• It is not permitted to chain vehicles to signposts, railings, and trees. Vehicles may not block exits, stairs, doorways, building air takes, sidewalks, paths, main pedestrian thoroughfares, fire lanes, fire hydrants, or handicap access ways. 

• All parking regulations apply in the campus core area. Parking of service carts is restricted to areas designated for carts; they are not allowed to park anywhere that parking permits are required. 

• For overnight parking, use locations designated for your department in coordination with Facilities Management. 

• Use charging locations designated for your department—except in the case of emergency.  

• Do not park in a charging station assigned to another department.  

• Do not run extension cords to carts from inside buildings. 

• Operating a service cart outside the boundaries of the University is limited or restricted, depending on the location.  

• Service carts are intended to be operated on roadways.  

• Travel on sidewalks should be limited to short distances when necessary to access the destination, but not as an alternative to driving on the roadway.  

• Operators must use extreme caution around pedestrians and bicyclists, and will avoid traveling on sidewalks during class changes.  

• Operators must be careful not to drive pedestrian and bicycle traffic off sidewalks and out of bike lanes. Pedestrians always have the right of way. 

• Access of the campus core must occur before 7:30 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m., when possible, and specifically not during class change times. Service carts will remain parked until it is safe to move in the core area during intervals when classes change. For example, crossing at Pitkin Street and University Avenue, as well as other crossing points of the Center Avenue mall, shall wait until it is safe to proceed.  

• To minimize conflicts between service carts and alternate modes of transportation, operators will yield to alternative modes of transportation on sidewalks and paths, such as with pedestrians, bicyclists, and skateboarders. Pedestrians are given right of way at all times. 
• Service Cart Parking & Cart-Free Zone Map

The operator’s privileges to operate a service cart on campus may be revoked if violations of this policy are observed. Violations include taking the right of way from pedestrians or bicycles, driving through pedestrian areas during class changes, driving on areas not designated for vehicles, and other safety violations. 

The designated route for 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. access of the core campus (i.e. the pedestrian mall) is an external service circulation loop around the core, defined by the following streets.  

• NORTH: Plum Street from Meridian, east through the Engineering lot to Music Drive and to Oval Drive 

• EAST: Oval Drive to East Drive 

• SOUTH: Lake Street 

• WEST: Meridian 

This route facilitates access without vehicles crossing the pedestrian mall. 

Service Vehicle Access Map