Greensboro, North Carolina Colleges Fund Area Public Transportation
The University of North Carolina, Greensboro; North Carolina A&T State University; Guilford College; Bennett College; and the Elon University School of Law have partnered to continue the Higher Education Area Transit service (HEAT) in Greensboro, North Carolina. The service, which would have been discontinued due to budget constraints, provides fare-free alternative transportation to seven area colleges. Government grants that funded the program expired this summer and the institutions were left with the decision of whether to continue the program. Its popularity with students, faculty, and staff led five of the area colleges to continue funding HEAT.
Oberlin College Launches Bicycle Campaign
Oberlin College (OH), in partnership with the City of Oberlin, has launched 4,000 More Bikes, a campaign that aims to reduce car use, increase bike use, and build community. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community can join the campaign by signing a pledge to spend more time on a bike and less time in a car. Members receive membership cards, bicycle stickers, discounts at bike shops, and raffles for helmets, locks, and other bicycle equipment.
Temple U Launches Bike Campaign
Temple University (PA) has launched a new initiative that aims to build a bike culture on campus that will link students, faculty, and staff to bike-related information and resources. A campus survey conducted last spring found that many campus members are interested in commuting by bike to and from campus, but are hesitant because they do not know where to purchase a bike or where to have it serviced. Respondents also indicated a need to learn bicycling skills that would give them a comfort level riding on busy city streets. In an effort to address these concerns, Bike Temple partnered with local stores to offer bicycles at a discounted rate and to provide a nearby repair facility.
Virginia Tech Partners to Expand Transportation Benefits
Virginia Tech and RIDE Solutions have established a partnership that will expand transportation benefits for students, faculty, and staff. The partnership will help expand carpooling options for the 27,000 VT commuters by creating a database of available carpooling options. The goal of the program is to reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, reduce parking demand, and help people save money.
Carleton College Launches Car-Share Program
Carleton College (MN) and WeCar, a car-sharing program by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, have announced plans to offer a car-sharing program. Carleton students, faculty and staff are eligible for membership and can rent the cars hourly, overnight, or for a full day. WeCar members will have access to two hybrid vehicles on campus.
Washington State U Begins Bike Share Program
Washington State University has launched the Green Bike Program. The fleet of 40 mountain bikes features hybrid tires, locking systems, baskets, lights, and helmets. The program has two check-out/in locations on campus and provides bikes to WSU faculty, staff, and students free of charge for 24 hour periods. The program is designed to help decrease congestion, promote physical activity and health, and lessen the use of fossil fuels.
Portland State U Opens Cycle Track
Portland State University and the City of Portland have opened a “cycle track” – a bike path physically separated from the road – on a high-traffic street running through campus. The primary advantage of the cycle track design is that it provides a more protected and comfortable space for cyclists than a conventional bike lane. Bicyclists on the cycle track will be separated from moving motor vehicle traffic by parked cars and a 3-foot, striped “buffer-zone” that will protect them from car doors.
U Alabama Launches Car-Share Program
The University of Alabama has signed an agreement with Zipcar to offer a car-sharing program on campus. The program, which rents six, self-service vehicles to UA faculty, staff, and students ages 18 and older, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Members who are 21 and older will have access to all of Zipcar's vehicles in North America and the U.K. in addition to the cars located on campus.
Western Carolina U Launches Yellow Bike Project
Western Carolina University (NC) has launched the Yellow Bike Project, a bike-share program on campus. The fleet of 14 bicycles, which were donated by the campus police impound and by individuals, are available for students to ride as needed and will be repaired and maintained by the WCU Cycling Club. The program received a $300 grant for paint, tubes, stickers, racks, and advertising to help it get started.
Mesa State College Begins Bike-Share Program
Mesa State College (CO) has begun MAVbikes, a bike-share program that allows students to check out single-speed bikes for the entire semester with a $150 refundable deposit. The fleet of 50 bicycles was purchased from a local bike shop that is providing the College with free maintenance, tune-ups, and adjustments
Jacksonville State U Unveils New Transit System
Jacksonville State University (AL) has unveiled the Gamecock Express, a new campus bus service that will run continuously from 7am to 10pm Monday through Friday, with limited schedules on the weekends. The routes have been designed to help students travel to and from class, and a city route will allow campus and community members to go shopping. The fleet of 10 buses will be free of charge and will not require a JSU identification card. The University has also implemented restricted parking zones.
3 Campuses Launch Car Sharing Programs
The University of South Florida, Saint Mary's College of California, and West Virginia University have each launched a car-sharing program on campus in partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car's WeCar. USF's program will allow drivers to rent one of four hybrid vehicles for a few hours at a time. The WeCar vehicles will be parked in designated spots in two locations on campus, allowing USF students, employees, and others who are at least 18 years old and who have preregistered as WeCar members to access them. Saint Mary's College of California has two cars parked on campus available for student use. In order to be a part of the program, students pay an enrollment fee and can rent a car by the day or by the hour. The College waived the enrollment fee for students who applied before June 1, 2009 and agreed not to bring a car to campus. WVU offers four hybrid rental cars to students who live on campus and to employees in academic departments seeking to cut back on travel expenses.
Ohio State U Adds Special Parking for Green Vehicles
Ohio State University has reserved 24 parking spaces for low-emissions vehicles and has announced plans to add 12 more in its South Campus Gateway garage. To use a "Green Spot" parking space, a vehicle must be listed on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's list of green vehicles.
Austin Peay State U Purchases 4 Electric Vehicles
Austin Peay State University (TN) has purchased four new Global Electric Motocars (GEMs). The vehicles – two six-passenger GEMs, one four-passenger and one two-passenger – are used by APSU staff to travel on campus for maintenance projects, deliveries, and errands. The four GEM vehicles, which cost a total of $69,000, were funded with money from student sustainability fees.
Dickinson College Partners with City for Bike Lanes
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the hometown of Dickinson College, has received full funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for a $2.8 million road project that will reduce the number of lanes from four to two and add a 5 foot wide bike lane on each side of two roads that run through a portion of the Dickinson campus. Dickinson contributed more than $50,000 toward traffic surveys of the High Street corridor.
Princeton U to Introduce Electric Fleet
Princeton University (NJ) has announced plans to launch a new electric fleet. The new four-wheel vehicles travel up to 25 mph and will replace several gas-powered automobiles that are currently in use.
Alfred U to Open Bicycle Library
Alfred University (NY) has announced plans to open a bicycle lending program this fall. The program will make 20 hybrid bicycles, which were purchased with $10,000 in funding from the AU Student Senate, available to AU students, faculty, and staff for a nominal fee. The AU Bicycle Lending Program will also offer a bike shop that will be staffed with a work study position. In addition, a University trustee made an anonymous donation of $2,000 per year to help cover ongoing costs of the program.
Indiana U Offers Parking Pass Discount to Green Vehicle Owners
Indiana University has begun offering a 20 percent discount on parking passes for employees who drive zero emission vehicles, as determined by the California Air Resources Board, or a car that has achieved a minimum green score of 40 on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's annual vehicle rating guide. Some employees have responded to the new discount negatively, arguing that it rewards people who can afford more fuel-efficient automobiles.
2 Indiana Campuses to Receive Shuttle Service
Citilink, a service of the Fort Wayne, IN Public Transportation Corporation, has announced plans to begin a campus shuttle service this fall that would provide free rides to and around Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and Ivy Tech Community College. The company will provide the campus shuttle service free of charge and will offer discounted passes to faculty and students to use other Citilink services.
Middlebury College Funds Carbon Reduction Initiatives with Parking Fee
Middlebury College (VT) has announced plans to begin charging students $50 per semester to park a car on campus. The College will use funds generated by the new fee, which will go into effect this fall, to support its carbon neutrality initiative. The revenue will be distributed between carbon reduction efforts and public transportation, in addition to paying for maintenance of parking lots.
Delta College Switches to 4 Day Schedule
Delta College (MI) has begun Green Fridays, a new schedule in which the campuses closes on Fridays. The campus extended its hours Monday through Thursday for students, faculty, and staff to perform their usual activities. The initiative seeks to reduce campus emissions without decreasing the level of education and services provided.
Western Illinois U to Pilot Bike Share Program
Western Illinois University has begun collecting bike donations and abandoned bikes on campus in preparation for its pilot bicycle share program to be launched this fall. The program, which is being implemented by the Transportation Subcommittee of the WIU Campus Sustainability Committee, will allow students to check out bikes for up to 72 hours.
St. Clair County CC Purchases Electric Car
St. Clair County Community College (MI) has purchased an electric car for its campus patrol. The car can travel up to 26 miles per hour and operates on six 12-volt batteries that can be charged with a standard electrical outlet.
SUNY Oswego Launches Car Share Program
The State University of New York at Oswego has signed a contract with Zipcar to provide two self-service cars to the campus community. The two vehicles, one of which is a hybrid, can be reserved online and are available to all faculty, staff, and students ages 18 and older. Faculty, staff, and students can join Zipcar for $35 and can drive for $8 per hour or $66 per day.
Brown U, Rhode Island School of Design Begin Bike Share Prgms
Brown University (RI) and the Rhode Island School of Design have begun new bike-share programs. RISD's program, which grew out of a class project, launched with 30 pink bicycles that are available to students for six-hour blocks. At Brown, students who pay a $5 yearly membership fee can be sign out bikes for a day.
Kansas State U Completes Commuter Study
The Kansas State University Physical Activity and Public Health Lab has completed a study to help the University understand the attitudes about active commuting as well as the major obstacles that keep people from either walking or biking to their destinations. Participants were asked about their physical activity levels, driving, health, work habits, and reasons for or against active commuting. About 800 K-State students, faculty, and staff and 428 Manhattan residents answered the surveys. Researchers found that about 5 percent of students routinely biked while 15 percent routinely walked to campus. The group also found that the distance to campus is the major factor for most people in deciding whether to actively commute or not. According to the study, individuals living within a 20-minute walk or bike ride to campus were twice as likely to walk and 17 times more likely to bike to campus than individuals living farther away.
U Idaho Installs Bicycle Air Station for Commuters
The University of Idaho has installed an air station at its Steam Plant to encourage campus members to leave their cars at home and bike to campus. The station is free to anyone who needs it and provides tire valves for both types of bicycle tires.
Dalhousie U Students Report Campus Travel Trends
Four Dalhousie University (NS) graduate students, in conjunction with the DU Director of the Office of Sustainability, have completed a project to identify travel trends of faculty, staff, and students and developed recommendations regarding how Dalhousie can move forward with alternative transportation programs. The group recommends education and awareness, the development of an employee bus pass, tele-working and compressed work week programs, hybrid vehicles in university fleets, the creation and promotion of safe cycling storage and changing facilities, and enhanced promotion related to formal carpooling and car-sharing programs. Currently, nearly 60 percent of faculty and staff and nearly 44 percent of students drive to campus.
U California Irvine Transportation Prgm Recognized by EPA
The University of California, Irvine's Sustainable Transportation Program has been honored by the Pacific Southwest division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Awards program that acknowledges commitment and significant contribution to the environment in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Pacific Islands, and tribal lands. UC Irvine's Sustainable Transportation Program eliminates more than 19,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and saves the university community more than $21 million annually. The program includes one-on-one commuter counseling, construction of an extensive network of bike/pedestrian paths, retrofitting the entire campus shuttle fleet to operate on biodiesel, and specialized nitrogen oxides traps to further reduce shuttle emissions. Other actions include replacing traffic lights with LEDs, timing traffic lights to reduce fuel-burning waits, improving shuttle service, and restricting car parking by students.
Portland State U Receives $200 K for Bike Cooperative
Portland State University (OR) has received donations of $150,000 and $50,000 toward its bicycle cooperative. The $150,000 donation is intended to help fund the construction of bicycle parking facilities on campus, and the $50,000 donation will be used to upgrade the program's current facilities. The new space will create between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet of indoor bicycle parking.
U at Albany Receives Grant to Study Campus Commute Patterns
The University at Albany has received a $97,290 grant from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to identify commuter vehicle patterns of students, faculty, and staff and research alternative modes of transportation. The University will evaluate transportation flow to and from campus in an effort to reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as develop new transit recommendations. The University's Office of Environmental Sustainability along with Associate Professor Kate Lawson, Geography and Planning Department, will examine surveys to find out how people get to work. Researchers will study campus community awareness of alternative transportation, as well as identify clusters of commuters for potential car pooling opportunities. The 18-month study is expected to be completed in fall 2010.
U California Los Angeles Prof to Build Hydrogen Fueling Station
Vasilios Manousiouthakis, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, has received $2.1 million in grant funding to build a hydrogen fueling station on campus. The fueling station will have the capacity to produce 140 kilograms of hydrogen per day for use in hydrogen-powered vehicles. The station, which will be available for use by the public, will be run by UCLA Engineering's Hydrogen Engineering Research Consortium.
Virginia Tech to Bring Car Share Program to Campus
Virginia Tech has announced plans to bring U Car Share, a car sharing program, to campus this summer. The program will allow students, staff, and faculty access to cars 24/7. U Car Share will provide six EPA SmartWay certified vehicles, a Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Focus, Toyota Yaris, Mini Cooper, and a Ford F-150. The vehicles will be parked at four different locations near classes, residence halls, and the Squires Student Center. Membership will be free to the campus community for a limited time, and participants of VT's Commuter Alternative Program will be able to join for free all year round.
U Rhode Island Begins Carpooling Challenge
The University of Rhode Island has begun a carpool challenge on campus. The two week program includes free $3 coupons for carpooling participants, a free one-day parking pass, and the chance to win one of four mp3 players.
U Wisconsin Madison Recognized as Bike-Friendly Campus
The University of Wisconsin, Madison has been named a silver award winner in the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Business program. Bicycle Friendly Businesses are defined as corporations, organizations, and nonprofit groups that weave bicycling into their business culture and encourage their employees and constituencies to be active in cycling.
Zipcar Partners with Zimride at Stanford U
Zipcar, a car-sharing provider, and Zimride, a social online ride-sharing community, have launched a partnership to integrate car sharing and ride sharing services on the Stanford University (CA) campus. The partnership eliminates the need to own a car to share a ride for all faculty, staff, and students at Stanford. Both Zipcar and Zimride have offered their services on the Stanford campus since December 2007 and November 2008 respectively, but now members of the Stanford community are able to use a Zipcar to share a ride organized by Zimride.
Macalester Colleges Brings Car Share Program to Campus
Macalester College (MN) has signed an agreement with Zipride, a car share program. The program's website allows users to post rides offered, whether one time or habitual commutes, as well as rides wanted. Current Macalester students, faculty, staff, and alumni can participate in the program.
Case Western Reserve U Purchases 4 Electric Vehicles
Two departments at Case Western Reserve University (OH) have purchased four new electric vehicles that travel up to a maximum speed of 25 mph. The four new vehicles are replacing four gas-run campus automobiles.
Clark U Launches Bike Share Program
Clark University (MA) has launched a new bike share program on campus. The program is organized, maintained, and promoted by Cycles of Change, a new cycling club on campus. Students in the club earned bicycles by volunteering at a local bike shop where they learned how to build bicycles from salvaged parts. The program will start out with six bicycles that Clark students, faculty, and staff may borrow upon leaving a valid Clark ID at the university center's main desk. Helmets and locks will also be available. A bike need only be returned by midnight of the day it is borrowed.
Rice U Grad Housing Begins Bike Promotion Program
Rice University's (TX) new graduate student apartment complex has begun an initiative aimed at increasing the use of residents who commute by bike and reducing the number of need parking spaces on the property. The housing complex offered a free bike to students who signed an agreement not to register a motor vehicle with Rice for one year. In addition, students who bring their own bikes to campus or receive them through the program may keep them in a dedicated storage room at the apartment complex.
Towson U Announces New Green Transportation Initiatives
Towson University (MD) has announced plans to pilot several initiatives aimed at lowering the demand for parking spaces on campus. Towson will be partnering with a car rental agency to provide students with the opportunity to reserve a car on an hourly or daily basis. Rates will include gas, insurance, and maintenance. The cars will be either hybrid or electric and more will become available if the demand is high. Parking and Transportation Services will also be providing new off-campus shuttles next semester. In addition, the University will begin offering discounted bus passes to faculty and staff, will continue offering four free parking passes to anyone who agrees to use alternative transportation as their primary means of getting to and from campus, and will continue the Guaranteed Ride Home program, which provides a free or discounted ride home to people who do not bring a car to campus.
U Minnesota, City of Minneapolis Announce 2 New Bike Programs
The University of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis have announced the creation of two federally funded bicycle initiatives. A new U of M Bike Center will be constructed on campus, and a bike sharing program will be launched with a total of 1,000 bicycles and will be available to the campus and local communities. Both initiatives will be created with the federally funded Bike Walk Twin Cities initiative that aims to increase biking and walking and reduce driving in Minneapolis and neighboring communities.
U North Carolina Wilmington Purchases Electric Truck
The University of North Carolina, Wilmington has purchased its first electric truck. The ECOtealmobile is used for delivering products to the new eco-friendly campus store, which is dedicated to selling only environmentally friendly products.
U Wisconsin Madison Launches Commuter Solutions Website
University of Wisconsin, Madison Transportation Services has launched a new website for its newly named alternative transportation program, UW Commuter Solutions. The website offers resources for alternative transportation options including transit, pedestrian, bicycling, carpooling, and vanpooling. The department has also launched an e-newsletter and implemented an outreach program that offers personalized transportation consulting for those who are interested. The primary goal of the new initiatives is to increase awareness, both of the benefits of alternative transportation and of the options themselves.
Binghamton U Offers Parking Discount to Carpoolers
Binghamton University (NY) has begun offering a discounted parking pass to carpoolers. The pilot program offers the discount to vehicles containing three or more passengers and provides five parking coupons to each participant for the days when s/he needs to drive separately. In addition, certain parking spaces on campus have been reserved for the high occupancy permits.
Ohio State, Pepperdine Start Car Share Programs
The Ohio State University and Pepperdine University (CA) have signed contracts with the Hertz Corporation to offer a car share programs on their campuses. The rentable cars, which are placed at various locations across campus, are available to all students, faculty, and staff age 18 and older
