| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.91 |
| Liaison | Julie Hopper |
| Submission Date | Dec. 20, 2023 |
University of Southern California
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Julie
Hopper Data Analyst Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
USC has embraced the city’s burgeoning bike culture by welcoming LA Metro’s bikeshare program. Stations are located on Figueroa Street (south of McCarthy Way Entrance) and Hoover Street, with others planned to open around the University Park neighborhood.
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
USC participates in the Zipcar University Program. Zipcar is a unique car-sharing service for USC students, faculty, and staff providing affordable access to low-emission vehicles by the hour. https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/zipcar/
Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:
Incentives for fuel efficient vehicles include lower-priced parking permits for EV's, with preferential parking areas and privileges.
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:
As of October 2023, there are a total of 246 EV charging ports across all USC campuses (111 EV charging ports at UPC (including Downey Parking Structure), and 135 charging ports at HSC).
*Note, the majority of the charging ports are dual charging ports (two EV chargers per port).
https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/ev-charging/
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 of Southern California’s Neighborhood Homeownership Program (NHP), is available to all benefits-eligible employees to encourage them to purchase and occupy homes in the communities surrounding the University Park Campus and Health Sciences Campus. The program was designed to provide employees the opportunity to purchase and own a home close to where they work.
The USC Neighborhood Homeownership Program provides eligible employees with monthly payments over a seven-year period totaling $50,000 or 20% of the home’s purchase price (whichever is less). The stipend will be evenly allocated over 84 months. To receive this benefit, an eligible employee must purchase and occupy a single-family residence within the defined University Park or Health Sciences communities, while employed by the university. Qualifying properties may include single-family homes, townhomes or condominiums that are the sole and primary residence of the borrower. Duplexes or any property that has more than one dwelling unit cannot be purchased through this program.
More information:
https://fpm.usc.edu/real-estate/faculty-staff-housing/usc-neighborhood-homeownership-program
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 USC Transit Subsidy Program:
This program helps to both: 1) save money for employees and students who choose to commute using public transportation and to 2) reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) being used for commuting.
USC employees – postdocs, faculty and staff – are eligible for a 50% subsidy on the cost of transit passes purchased through USC Transportation. The program includes LA Metro, LADOT and Metrolink passes, with more options being made available in the future. In addition to the subsidy, employees can pay for their transit passes with pre-tax payroll deductions further increasing the value of the program. In addition, all program participants are eligible for up to three free daily parking passes per month in the Grand Avenue Structure, for use on those occasions when they need to bring a vehicle to campus.
USC Student U-Pass Program
Starting in the Fall 2023 semester, USC Transportation partnered with LA Metro to expand the existing U-Pass program and made it available to ALL current USC students (both Graduate students and Undergraduates). This pass is available at no additional cost (the cost of the program is included in the Transportation Fee being charged to all registered students at USC). The U-Pass allows USC students unlimited rides on LA Metro’s rail and bus lines for any given semester.https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/student-u-pass/
The USC Transportation carpool program:
This program aims to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) that come to our campuses by incentivizing carpoolers with lower parking rates and free parking passes. https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/carpool/
Traveler Mobile Platform
The Traveler mobile platform enables trip-planning focused on multi-modal, alternate transit-oriented options. Through strategic partnerships with Metro, Metrolink, Enterprise, ZipCar and more, the Mobility Hub reduces the use of SOVs on campus. USC Transportation has expanded the platform to integrate Waze mapping for carpoolers, Enterprise for vanpoolers, Lyft for rideshare participants, and LA Metro for the Southern California region. Traveler users have already saved 27.4 tons of CO2 and $20,000 through alternative commuting options. https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/traveler/
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:
Data is based on all current information as of October 2023.
Data is based on all current information as of October 2023.
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.