Preston Kunz, an architecture sophomore, stops his Lance 50CC scooter in the Dale Hall parking lot Tuesday afternoon. Kunz said his scooter gets about 100 miles per gallon and says he bought it off of e-bay for $500. Michelle Gray/The Daily

With the high costs of gasoline, the sales and visibility of motor scooters in Norman are increasing.

Kris Glenn, marketing and public relations specialist for OU Parking and Transit services, said he has seen an increase in scooter use on both Norman streets and the OU campus.

“You see the burliest of guys and the girliest of girls riding around on scooters,” Glenn said. “There are also professional people riding around on their scooters in business suits.”

Ralph Slayer, owner of Extreme Auto Options in Norman, said he has had a boom in scooter sales. He said he sold close to 30 scooters last year, but this year he expects to sell more than 150.

“Whenever [gas prices] take a big jump like that, it spurs on and people are always buying scooters,” Slayer said.

Slayer said more students are purchasing scooters, but the bulk of his business comes from baby boomers.

“It’s something that has gone on worldwide for years, and we’re the last ones to get out of our Suburbans and Hummers and onto scooters,” Slayer said. “A lot of people just want [a scooter] for the savings on gas and insurance costs.”

Allstate insurance agent Brandon Fisher said scooter insurance can be 50 to 60 percent cheaper than automobile insurance, depending on the individual’s driving record. Insurance coverage for a 21- to 25-year-old male costs about $185 annually, while rates for women in the same age range are slightly cheaper.

Cheap transportation was the motivating factor for architecture sophomore Preston Kunz when he decided to purchase a scooter. He said he averages almost 100 miles on a 1.5 gallon tank.

Kunz bought his scooter, which is worth $1,400, used on eBay for just over $500.

“I don’t see myself selling it anytime in the near future unless I could sell it for profit,” Kunz said. “And if I did, I would get another one.”

Parking permit prices for scooters and motorcycles are cheaper than those for cars.

“The cost of the parking permit at $39 for an entire year was a big selling point,” Kunz said.

In 2007, parking services sold 157 motorcycle parking permits between Aug. 15 and Oct. 1. This year, 237 permits were sold, a 33 percent increase, Glenn said.

There are 26 designated motorcycle parking areas on campus that can accommodate between five and 10 vehicles each, based on the size of bike and where they park, Glenn said.

Kunz said he has not had a problem with parking on campus.

Slayer said that scooters are becoming more popular, and he would like to see them fully embraced by the public.

“This is a form of transportation and we’ve just got to get that into our heads,” he said. “You don’t have to have a giant car to go get a loaf of bread from the store.”