| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 34.71 |
| Liaison | Kristina Bryan |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Saint Louis University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.60 / 2.00 |
Amy
Hargis Project Analyst Sustainability & Benchmarking |
Does the institution provide secure bicycle storage (not including office space), shower facilities, and lockers for bicycle commuters?:
A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:
The Doisy Research Center is just one facility that offers bike racks, showers and locker rooms for people who ride their bicycles to work. In addition, the shower facilities can be utilized by bicycle commuters at both the Simon Recreation Center and the Salus Fitness Center.
There are more than 35 bike racks conveniently located throughout the three campus locations, including both covered and uncovered. Secure bike storage is also located next to the security office in the Olive-Compton garage.
Does the institution provide short-term bicycle parking for all occupied buildings and makes long-term bicycle storage available for students who live on-site (if applicable)?:
A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:
All residence halls have short-term bicycle racks located outside each building. Many other buildings on campus also have bicycle racks available for use. More location on campus are added each year due to increases in bike usage. Long term bike storage is not currently available on SLU's campus, although the need for this service was accessed in the Commuter Survey.
At the downtown campus, a bike storage program is available to those that purchase a subscription. Big Shark offers day-use passes, bicycle valet, lock rentals for bicycles and lockers, and bicycle storage.
http://www.slu.edu/Documents/facilities/Sustainability/Bike%20News.pdf
Does the institution have a bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy (or adhere to a local community plan/policy) that sets standards and practices for campus streets to enable safe access for all users?:
A brief description of the bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy:
Although SLU does not have a bike accommodation policy, SLU has made every effort to connect students and create a unified, pedestrian-friendly campus. This can be seen through consolidating parcels and vacating streets, adding dedicated bike lanes on Grand Ave, etc. Streets formerly owned and operated by the City of St. Louis are now maintained and used as walkways for students.
The Grand Ave bridge connects the Frost and Medical Center via larger walkways, dedicated bike lanes traveling north and south and a new updated MetroLink station. The MetroLink station connects SLU students via light rail or bus transportation.
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
Student Government Association (SGA) conducted a survey in Fall 2015 to measure student interest in alternative transportation options, including a bike share program. As a result of the survey, SGA is currently researching bike share programs available to college campuses and determining the financial commitment needed to implement the program at SLU.
Does the institution offer free or reduced price transit passes and/or operate a free campus shuttle for commuters?:
A brief description of the mass transit programs:
The Department of Transportation Services is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the SLU Van Service, the Billiken Shuttle Service, and the Parks CAS shuttle. The university also provides a weekend shuttle service that supports those students who would like to visit other parts of St. Louis with stops at local grocery stores, the mall, and other shopping venues and attractions.
Metro Passes are sold to students, faculty, and staff on campus. Full-time employees can purchase the passes on a pre-tax basis through payroll deduction through Metro's ""Partial Expense Reduction for Commuters Transit Benefit Program,"" or PERC. Students may also purchase passes at a discounted student rate through Parking and Card Services. Any employee of the University may also receive a $100 subsidy per year if their annual salary is less than $37,000 who purchases monthly Metro passes through Parking & Card Services.
Transportation Services implemented a University Pass (U-Pass) system to all on-campus residents. These passes are provided at no additional charge to students living on campus, an additional perk to living on campus. The program aims to get people off campus and into the community, through "SLU in the City".
Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:
The University partners with organizations in the community that offer a Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH), like RideFinders and CMT. Both organizations offer GRH to those that sign up through their service. SLU manages and promotes the use of the GRH program through new employee and student orientations.
http://www.ridefinders.org/grh.aspx
http://cmt-stl.org/programs/guaranteed-ride-home/
Does the institution participate in a car/vanpool or ride sharing program and/or offer reduced parking fees or preferential parking for car/vanpoolers?:
A brief description of the carpool/vanpool program:
Saint Louis University partners with RideFinders, the St. Louis regional rideshare program. The organization provides people with the resources and connections for carpooling. Faculty, students, and staff can register through the SLU online partner program site to either find a new match or add members to an existing carpool.
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program, such as a commercial car-sharing program, one administered by the institution, or one administered by a regional organization?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
Transportation Services offers a van sharing rental program for University sanctioned business. Transportation Services coordinates the rental of University vans to assist the transportation needs of faculty, staff, students and University sanctioned organizations conducting official University business. This helps reduce trips made by single occupancy vehicles.
Visit the link for more details >
http://www.slu.edu/facilities-services-home/departments/transportation-services/van-rental-service
In the fall of 2016, the University introduced a car sharing program through Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This service is available for students, faculty, and staff to use for personal use. Reservations are encouraged and can be rented per hour.
Visit the link for more details > https://www.enterprisecarshare.com/us/en/programs/university/slu.html
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:
Vehicle recharging stations are currently unavailable to the SLU community on campus, but we continue to monitor the applicability and interest in this service. A question about the interest in electric car charging stations was asked in the transportation survey administered in November 2014 and will receive additional consideration as responses are analyzed and discussed.
Two engineering students are currently researching the feasibility of installing an electric car charging station on campus with the support of Tesla.
Does the institution offer a telecommuting program for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
The University does not have a policy on telecommuting; however, there are some instances where this request is administered by departments.
Billiken Secure Connect is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that provides users secure remote access to network resources on SLU Net. The service is available to all faculty and staff.
Does the institution offer a condensed work week option that reduces employee commuting (as a matter of policy or standard practice)?:
A brief description of the condensed work week option:
While most campuses and departments have established standard business hours, these schedules vary throughout the University, depending upon the services provided. Many are finding that flexible work schedules help them provide better service to their clients without incurring the expense of overtime. More employees can be scheduled to work during peak activity periods while fewer employees are scheduled for non-peak hours. This scheduling process is workable for routine weekly operations or seasonal operational requirements.
http://www.slu.edu/human-resources-home/work-schedule-flexibility-policy
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:
The University previously had a program called Hometown SLU that assisted employees who purchased a home in the surrounding area; however, due to lack of interest and funding, the program has been frozen.
Does the institution employ other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting (e.g. preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, cash-out of parking programs)?:
A brief description of other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting:
Saint Louis University offers numerous options in traveling to and around campus. SLU options range from the Billiken Shuttle Service, dedicated bike lanes, and the SLU Ride Program. SLU also has partnered with a number of organizations to provide transportation services to the SLU community including; RideFinders, Trailnet, Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT), and Metro.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.