| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.41 |
| Liaison | Krista Bailey |
| Submission Date | Dec. 12, 2023 |
Pennsylvania State University
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.80 / 1.00 |
Shelley
McKeague Environmental Compliance Specialist Engineering Services |
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
Penn State provides e-bike share through Spin and has subsidized and managed the partnership to expand to State College Borough, Patton Township, and Ferguson Township as a community asset.
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
ZipCar pulled out of the State College and Penn State market due to supply chain issues related to COVID. The university tried to offer a subsidy but Zipcar was unable to provide the program purely from an operational standpoint. The university is on the lookout for alternatives but our location in the middle of PA is outside of the scope of most available car share companies.
Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:
Priority locations for electric vehicle charging spots are located in the Nittany Deck and the West Deck. There are compact car only spots in some of the parking decks. A comprehensive carpool/vanpool incentive program is in development which includes priority parking spots. The university has contracted with RideShark to develop a commuter incentives platform found at rideon.psu.edu. This platform is under construction but will include more robust incentives and programming to encourage efficient transportation.
Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
The Nittany Parking Deck and West Parking Deck have level 2 EV charging stations. There are also charging stations for University-owned vehicles at the Fleet Operations Building, Office of Physical Plant, Shaver’s Creek, and various ports within the parking garages.
Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
N/A
Does the institution have other programs or initiatives to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and/or reduce the impact of student and employee commuting?:
A brief description of other programs or initiatives to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and/or reduce the impact of student and employee commuting:
Penn State partners with CATA (Centre Area Transportation Authority) on multiple programs. RIDEpass is a Penn State administered program that provides access to all CATABUS routes to eligible faculty and staff for $21 per month. The Loop and Link service provides fare-free campus/downtown circulator and cross-campus shuttle service to the campus and immediate downtown area. All buses and shuttles have bike racks installed on the front for multimodal commuting options. CATA also manages a carpool and vanpool service (CATACOMMUTE) utilized by Penn State staff and faculty. A daily shuttle service is provided for students, faculty and staff between the College of Medicine at Hershey, PA to the University Park campus in Sate College, PA. Penn State is designated a Gold level Bike Friendly University by The League of American Bicyclists. The university sponsors free bike safety workshops, light giveaways, and safety events through the Penn State Bike Den (a bike repair space free and open to the public). Penn State also subsidizes late night Lyft rides to supplement gaps in transit.
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainable transportation is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.