| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.13 |
| Liaison | Olivia Wiebe |
| Submission Date | Dec. 28, 2023 |
University of Idaho
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.80 / 1.00 |
Steve
Mills Transportation Director PTS |
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
The University of Idaho, Parking and Transportation Services, partners with local business Paradise Creek Cycles to manage a bicycle rental program. UI PTS has purchased 20 bicycles for use in this program. Students may rent a bicycle from PTS per semester or year. As part of the partnership with Paradise Creek Cycles, students may take the rented bicycle to the business for routine repair and maintenance. Paradise Creek Cycles will in-turn invoice PTS for those repairs. Routine maintenance and repair costs are not the responsibility of the student; damage deemed due to negligence is. Should a student rent a bicycle from PTS for all four years of higher education, the bicycle becomes theirs to keep.
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:
Preferential parking for motorcycles and bicycles is located throughout the campus core and outlying areas. A total of 28 specially marked areas are signed specifically for motorcycle parking. Bicycle parking, as well as bicycle storage, is located at residence halls and throughout the campus pedestrian mall where vehicles are not authorized to drive or park without a special access permit.
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 university has two level 2 EV charging stations, with two 240V, J1772 connectors, accessible to the campus and community. Charging stations are located at the Institutional Research and Innovation Center (IRIC) the university's first LEED gold building. Users with a ChargePoint account are able to charge electric vehicles for up to four hours for free. There is a small parking meter fee.
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:
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:
The University of Idaho supports three programs designed to encourage incoming students to leave a personal vehicle at home; SMART Transit, Lyft Credit, and Vandal Break Bus.
SMART Transit is the local transit authority providing service to the community of Moscow and the University of Idaho. The UI PTS provides annual funding to SMART Transit. This funding, as well as federal grants, allow SMART Transit to offer services free of charge, for all riders, six days a week. As a benefit, the UI PTS Director and Assistant Manager are members of the SMART Transit Board and have input on operations.
Recognizing a need to provide UI students with alternative transportation options during the hours SMART Transit is unavailable, UI PTS launched a program in November 2021 to provide 100% free ride-share trips to students anywhere in Moscow as well as to the Pullman-Moscow Regional airport and to the WSU campus. The current program utilizes Lyft. Students each receive a monthly Lyft credit to be used for rides within a 10-mile radius of campus. Students are actively encouraged to share Lyft rides, and therefore exponentially increase the availability of free alternative transportation.
The UI contracts with local business Salt Lake Express to provide the Vandal Break Bus offering trips to southern Idaho during academic breaks. This service is heavily promoted to students during recruitment events with encouragement to leave the personal vehicle at home completely or take advantage of a commercial bus-ride rather than drive a personal vehicle on breaks. Three buses are available, each with seating for up to 53 riders. These buses are available for Fall, Winter and Spring academic breaks and potentially eliminate up to 159 individual vehicle roundtrips.
The UI has a fixed amount of surface parking available. This, coupled with measured increases in parking permit prices, provides some additional encouragement for faculty, staff and students to explore and take advantage of alternative transportation.
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:
EV data: Marc Compton, Mechanical Engineer, Facilities
Program/initiative information from Steven Mills, UI PTS
EV data: Marc Compton, Mechanical Engineer, Facilities
Program/initiative information from Steven Mills, UI PTS
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.