| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.23 |
| Liaison | Maria Dahmus |
| Submission Date | June 21, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of St. Thomas
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.40 / 2.00 |
Diana
Kaardal Director Transportation & Parking Services |
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:
McCarthy Gym has a bicycle commuter program. This athletic facility has lockers, showers and bike racks.
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:
The university has bike racks located across campus and one cage located in the parking ramp for resident students. Residence Life manages access to the cage. Each residence hall has bike racks specific to its location.
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:
The university works with neighborhood and community groups to endorse bike programs and bike routes that are adjacent to the campus. Public Safety also offers a bike safety program where bikes can be registered.
The university has a pedestrian plan tied to the traffic demand management plans required by the city. This plan applies to landscape and building design to direct pedestrian traffic to specific crosswalk areas. These crosswalks have been redesigned to support the pedestrian traffic flow, by physical changes and electronic crosswalk regulators.
The University Vice President of Government Relations co-chairs the West Summit Neighborhood Advisory Committee's (WSNAC) subcommittee on Campus Development & Transportation, which routinely looks at issues of pedestrian safety. Some recent initiatives to support safe access to campus include pedestrian “pads” on Summit and Cretin, “zebra stripe” crosswalks at Ashland and Selby, crossing Cleveland Avenue, and lighting improvements on Cleveland along the eastern edge of the Saint Paul campus.
The city of Saint Paul has two relevant plans:
Saint Paul Bicycle Plan
https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/public-works/bicycles/saint-paul-bicycle-plan
Saint Paul Complete Streets Plan
https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/planning-economic-development/planning/current-activities/complete-streets-plan
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
Nice Ride has a facility on campus and the student center also provides bikes for bike sharing.
The Nice Ride bike sharing program has a fleet of over 1,700 bikes across Minneapolis and St. Paul with rental locations available on the university's campus. The university provided a $20,000 grant for discounted subscriptions to members of the St. Thomas community.
During Spring, Summer, and Fall, 10 bicycles are available to St. Thomas students, staff, and faculty for check out at the Tommie Central desk in the Anderson Student Center. The bicycles can be rented for the entire day, but must be returned by the time the Anderson Student Center closes that day. There is no cost to rent these bikes, but individuals must sign a liability waiver in order to complete the rental. Failure to return the bicycle on time results in a daily charge of $10.00. Each rental includes use of the bicycle, a helmet, and a keyed lock.
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:
St. Thomas subsidizes the cost of Metro Transit bus passes for students, faculty and staff. The university also provides a shuttle between the Minneapolis and St Paul campuses.
Metro Transit Metropasses for faculty and staff are subsidized at 75% of the cost. Student Metro Transit College Passes are subsidized at 10%. All of these passes are good for unlimited rides. Student passes are issued by term (fall, spring and summer). Faculty and staff passes are continuous, until cancelled by faculty and staff or employment is terminated.
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:
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:
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:
St. Thomas hosts two HOURCAR vehicles, one at the St. Paul campus and one at the Minneapolis campus. HOURCAR is a regional carsharing program in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Vehicle locations and program details are available at https://hourcar.org/
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:
While the university does not currently have level 2 or 3 charging stations, it does have at least one location where electric vehicles can be charged via charging outlet and a cable in a resident facility/ramp.
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's Employee Handbook states that telecommuting is a voluntary work arrangement that may be appropriate for some employees and some positions, functions, or activities. Telecommuting allows an employee to work at an offsite location for part or all of their work week, substituting telecommunications technology for the trip to and from campus. The university considers telecommuting a viable alternative work option for situations that are well-suited to such an arrangement.
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:
The University's Employee Handbook states that the normal work week consists of 40 hours, five days per week, Monday through Friday. The hours and days an employee works is dependent upon the needs of the department, and may vary from one department to another or work groups within a department.
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 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:
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:
Websites with additional information
Bike Information and Registration
https://www.stthomas.edu/publicsafety/prevention/bikeinformationregistration/
Commuting Information for Off-Campus Students
https://www.stthomas.edu/offcampus/commuting/
Websites with additional information
Bike Information and Registration
https://www.stthomas.edu/publicsafety/prevention/bikeinformationregistration/
Commuting Information for Off-Campus Students
https://www.stthomas.edu/offcampus/commuting/
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.