U New Mexico Hosts Electric Vehicle Outreach Event
After electric vehicle (EV) charging stations were installed on campus, the university hosted a Ride and Drive event, an electric and hybrid car show consisting of car manufacturers BMW, Ford, Nissan and Chevrolet. The goal of the event was to promote alternative transportation and raise awareness of the EV charging stations on campus.
Michigan State U Joins 'Workplace Charging Challenge'
In an effort to help reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions while also providing a valuable benefit to students, employees and visitors, the university recently joined the national partnership program, Workplace Charging Challenge through the U.S. Department of Energy, that aims to increase the number of employers offering workplace vehicle charging to 500 by 2018.
U California Davis Accommodates 20K Bicycles
A newly released video showcases the university's efforts to maintain a Platinum level Bicycle-Friendly designation from the League of American Bicyclists, given that on any given weekday in the spring or fall semester, the campus may have 20,000 bikes on it, says David Takemoto-Weerts, university bicycle program coordinator.
Massachusetts Institute of Tech Rolls Out Free Transit
Between now and September, MIT will roll out the Access MIT pass, one of several new commuter benefits for Cambridge campus faculty and staff. The new benefits include free, unlimited subway and local bus usage, and increased subsidies for parking at MBTA stations and commuter rail tickets. The Access MIT program is an initiative to create a variety of affordable, low-carbon transportation options and change the way the MIT community thinks about commuting. Photo credit: Lilyana Vynogradova / Shutterstock.com
Stanford U Students to Receive Free Bike Helmets
In an effort to increase safe bicycling practices among Stanford students, the university will distribute free helmets to nearly 1,800 freshmen in the fall of 2016, thanks to a donation from two Stanford parents.
Colorado State U Offers Bike Training to Older Staff
Faculty and staff 50 years old and older can get personalized training through university’s Parking and Transportation Services, thanks to a Kaiser Permanente grant. The Back on the Bike program is designed to get more people in active transportation and physical activity by offering bike tune-ups, safety gear and tricks to travel in traffic and overcome other safety or comfort obstacles through personalized travel training.
U Maryland & City Launch Bike-Share Program
The university and City of College Park, in partnership with Zagster, Inc., launched mBike, a bike sharing program for students, faculty, staff, visitors and community members that includes 120 bikes at 14 stations throughout campus and the city.
Five Universities Place in Shell Eco-Marathon Americas
This year's Shell Eco-Marathon Americas, a global program that challenges high school and college student teams to design, build and test the most energy-efficient vehicles, concluded with the following winners: Queens University (Canada), University of Alberta (Canada), University of Colorado at Boulder, Laval University (Canada), and Université de Sherbrooke (Canada). The win qualifies the teams to compete at the Shell Ecomarathon Europe and the Drivers World Championship in London this summer.
Stanford U Students Reduce Team Travel Emissions
The university recently announced that all of last year's (2015) varsity team air travel emissions were offset through Stanford Carbon Offsets to Reduce Emissions (SCORE), a collaborative effort to reduce Stanford Athletics’ carbon footprint from air travel by purchasing carbon offsets.
Princeton U Expands Bike-Share Program
Building on its commitment of providing sustainable and convenient transportation options for faculty, staff, students and the community, the university has expanded its bike-share program by 60 bicycles that can be borrowed at various points around campus. The new bikes augment a successful bike-rental pilot program the university launched in November 2014 with 10 bikes available at Princeton Station.
Colorado State U Introduces Four Electric Vehicles to Fleet
Two Nissan LEAFs were purchased by Housing & Dining Services to be used as check-out vehicles for staff who need a vehicle during the day to attend meetings, run university errands or coordinate deliveries. The other two vehicles will be utilized by Facilities Management staff to travel between the three campuses, run university errands and attend meetings and conferences along the Front Range.
Northern Arizona U Raises Nearly $7K for Bike Safety
The university's first crowdfunding effort, Lights for Yellow Bikes, raised $6,704 for lights to be installed on bikes in its free bike program. Citing inclement weather and night riding, installing yellow lights on the bikes aims to help protect riders from harm.
Dalhousie U Releases Bike Safety Video
The university recently debuted a comedic bike safety video with 12 tips for safe cycling. Students and alumni appear in the film, which was co-funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Health.
Glasgow Caledonian U Receives Cycling Award
(U.K.): Students and staff welcomed the Cycle Friendly Campus Award from Cycling Scotland, which recognized the university's efforts to promote cycling to, from and around campus. The university has implemented a range of measures including bicycle parking, cycle training and providing personal travel planning. Since 2014, the university has documented a 20 percent increase in the number of students, staff and visitors that choose cycling as a travel choice.
Utah State U Receives $29K for Clean Fuel Transportation
In an effort to improve air quality on campus, the university’s Center for Civic Engagement and Service-Learning was awarded $12,000 to buy an electric vehicle to deliver waste to the campus' organic farm and the industrial composter and to transport food waste recovered for the student food pantry through the Food Recovery Network. An additional $17,000 will provide partial funding to purchase a Chevy Volt for the Utah Conservation Corps and retire an outdated truck from its vehicle fleet. USU is providing matching funds to install solar panels on a facility to store that vehicle.
Associated Students U Montana Order Electric Buses
In alignment with the school's commitment to reduce carbon emissions, the Associated Students of the University of Montana recently ordered two 40-foot electric buses. The purchase will be creatively funded via the state's INTERCAP program and the U.S. EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant.
Oregon State U Wins Local Transportation Challenge
Top honors in the inaugural Employment Transportation Coordinator challenge, a joint project of the city and local Council of Governments, went to the university on behalf of alternative transportation efforts that include improvement at forming carpool and vanpool groups, increasing the amount of bicycle parking, creating a zonal parking system for the campus. The university will be working with local bike shops to offer repair training and reboot its bike loan program.
U Nebraska Omaha Expands Bus Ridership Program
Beginning in early 2016, university students, staff and faculty will be able to use their university identification card as a Metro Transit bus pass. The expansion of university’s transportation program will provide bus access to more than 15,000 students and 3,000 faculty and staff. This expansion is jointly funded by the university's Student Government Association and Parking Services.
Colleges and Universities Creatively Addressing Transportation Woes
New parking lots, bike and car-sharing, and subsidized or free public transportation are growing options at colleges and universities in the U.S. that seek to reduce transportation woes on campus says the Los Angeles Times. Solutions can be complicated by increased enrollment and building costs, however finding creative and new alternatives is paramount.
Penn State Powers Fleet EVs with Solar Energy
After purchasing electric vehicles for campus workers, the university invested in photovoltaic panels to charge the EVs as opposed to grid power, which is predominantly fueled by coal. Students from various majors volunteers to help with installation of the system.
U Washington Receives Accolades for Transportation Leadership
The Intelligent Transportation Services of America, the Washington State Department of Transportation and the governor's administration recently honored the university for advancing the use of electric vehicles (EVs) on campus through adding 14 EVs this year with an expected total of 42 by June 2016. Five parking lots have six permanent charging stations, including nine temporary stations.
Bicycle Friendly University Recognizes 49 Institutions
The League of American Bicyclists announced a new round of designations that recognize campuses making bicycling an integral part of the college experience. There are now 127 Bicycle Friendly Universities (BFU) in 42 states. Colorado State University, Portland State University, Stanford University and University of Minnesota claim Platinum status, BFU's highest distinction.
U Illinois Chicago Biking Club Delivers Food to Homeless
Uneaten food from the university's Dining Services helps feed people at a nearby homeless shelter. Thanks to students in a campus biking club, the College of Cycling coordinates weekly volunteer bike rides to deliver between 30 to 80 pounds of food. This initiative helps to reduce campus waste, increase bicycle education and build partnerships with the city.
Utah State U Wins 'National Bike Challenge'
Placing first in the university division of the National Bike Challenge, 220 university members that registered for the competition rode 76,157 miles, burned over four-million Calories, averted 28,604 pounds of carbon dioxide and saved $17,957.
U Utah Launches Ride Sharing Service
Partnering with Zimride by Enterprise, the university now offers an online ride-matching service that leverages the power of social media. By integrating with Facebook, Zimride connects drivers and passengers within a private university network heading to the same area.
U Wisconsin Milwaukee Rolls Out Bike
With marked lanes on many streets and miles of dedicated paths, this fall the opportunity to enjoy biking throughout the community will be much easier for students with help of six new Bublr stations totaling 230 bikes. Bublr Bikes offers students free, 60-minute passes for one year.
Purdue University Launches Bike-Share Program
As a means of providing fun, clean and convenient transportation, the university recently announced the official launch of the Purdue Bike Share program, allowing members to use bicycles for varying lengths of time. Costs to use the system are based on the duration of usage.
U Kentucky Improves Connectivity for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
Because commuting cyclists faced limited and difficult options for traveling to and from campus, the university funded the construction of a new shared-use path and the city provided way-finding and pavement markings that link an existing bicycle route to a new campus facility.
U Kentucky Announces Bicycle Voucher Program
Inspired by the success of the University of Louisville's Earn-a-Bike Program, the University of Kentucky's Parking and Transportation Services' new pilot program is giving up to 100 students a $400 voucher for a local bike shop in exchange for not bringing a motor vehicle to campus for two years. The program aims to encourage commuters to consider alternatives to the single passenger vehicle.
Cornell U Offers Free EV Charging
Since demand for vehicle charging stations on campus has grown due to popularity of hybrid and all-electric vehicles, university Transportation Services now offers free electric vehicle charging and preferential parking for low-emission and alternative fuel vehicles.
U Maryland Earns Honors for Bike to Work Day
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recently presented the 2015 Commuter Connections Bike to Work Day Employer Challenge award to the university. With 161 campus registrants at various pit stops, the university is among the top bike-friendly employers in the region.
Elon U Receives Honors for Alternative Fuel Vehicles
The university was recently recognized by the Triangle Clean Cities Coalition for supplanting petroleum use with biodiesel and electricity, avoiding use of more than 17,000 gallons of gasoline over the past year.
U Kentucky Partners to Provide Campus With Free Public Transit
In an effort to strengthen its relationship with the city, the university and the Lexington Transit Authority, better known as Lextran, have partnered to offer faculty, staff and students free transit on Lextran bus routes simply by showing a valid identification card.
Pennsylvania State U Helps Earn Cycle-Friendly Status
Walk Score, a company that gathers data about a location’s walkability, bikeability and access to public transit, recently ranked State College, the town surrounding the university, in the top 10 most bicycle-friendly cities. Walk Score rated 154 cities based on a locations bike lanes, hills, destinations and road connectivity, and bike commuting mode share.
U Oregon Selects New Bicycle Registration Partner
With bike thievery the single largest category of crimes on the university's campus, Project 529 allows campus community members to easily register their bicycle, and includes an identity sticker that allows police officers to easily identify the true owner.
Northwestern U Creates Electric Vehicle Strategy
Given that transportation is the third largest contributor to the university’s greenhouse gas emissions, the university has replaced some of facility's trucks with small, electric trucks and installed four electric vehicle charging stations. Campus commuters and visitors who drive electric hybrid vehicles can recharge for free at the stations.
Tufts U Adds Electric Motorcycle to Police Fleet
As part of the university's sustainability goals, the electric motorcycle is able to reach more areas than the previous cruiser and can be plugged into a standard electrical outlet giving the battery an eight-hour charge.
U Washington Installs Bicycle Safety Equipment on Trucks
In an effort to reduce fatalities among bicyclists and pedestrians in side-impact collisions with campus box trucks, the newly installed side guards cover the space between the front and rear wheels on trucks with high ground clearance, shielding bicyclists and pedestrians from being run over by a truck’s rear wheels.
Morehead State U Receives $18K Grant for Bicycle Safety
The university recently received an $18,921 grant from the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission to inform and educate citizens of Morehead and the campus community about bicycle and pedestrian safety through the development of educational programs. The grant activities include the establishment of bike lanes. Editorial Photo Credit: Lilyana Vynogradova / Shutterstock.com
California State U Monterey Bay Adds EV to Police Fleet
(U.S.): The university's police commander recently received a grant from the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District to purchase the efficient, all electric Nissan Leaf, which will be used for civilian employees of the department.
City College Opens Campus Bike Shop
Embracing alternative transportation plans that encourage cycling, the new do-it-yourself bike repair shop allows students, faculty and staff to learn how to fix their bike and purchase bicycle parts and accessories. The shop will also host education classes and bike-focused events.
Syracuse U to Start Bike Sharing Program
Because of a pilot bike-share initiative being organized by the university's Student Association, students will soon be able to use bikes for free, only paying fees if bikes are late, lost or damaged.
Utah State U Pilots Employee Bike Program
The university is going to conduct a pilot program later this year that allows employees who bike to work to be reimbursed up to $240 a year for commuting costs. It's part of federal legislation enacted in 2009 under the Renewable Energy Tax Credit that adds bicycle commuting to the list of qualified transportation fringe benefits covered in the IRS code.
Texas State U Creates Bike-Sharing Program
Abandoned and unclaimed bikes on campus get a second life through the recently launched bike-sharing program that allows the campus community to experience cycling without the cost.
