| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.92 |
| Liaison | Amy Brunvand |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2023 |
University of Utah
OP-16: Commute Modal Split
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.71 / 5.00 |
Emerson
Andrews Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund Manager Sustainability Office |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment:
Full-time equivalent of employees:
Has the institution gathered data about student commuting behavior?:
Total percentage of students that use more sustainable commuting options as their primary mode of transportation:
A brief description of the method(s) used to gather data about student commuting:
Commuter Survey, Fall 2021
Survey of students, faculty, and staff conducted by the University of Utah in Fall Semester 2021 asked about their commuting habits to the University. Survey methodology is described in Notes section.
Has the institution gathered data about employee commuting behavior?:
Total percentage of employees that use more sustainable commuting options as their primary mode of transportation:
A brief description of the method(s) used to gather data about employee commuting:
Commuter Survey, Fall 2021
Survey of students, faculty, and staff conducted by the University of Utah in Fall Semester 2021 asked about their commuting habits to the University. Survey methodology is described in Notes section.
Percentage of students and employees that use the following as their primary mode of transportation:
| Percentage of students (0-100) | Percentage of employees (0-100) | |
| Single-occupancy vehicle | 36.50 | 58 |
| Zero-emissions vehicle | 1 | 2 |
| Walk, cycle, or other non-motorized mode | 15.50 | 10 |
| Vanpool or carpool | 4.50 | 2 |
| Public transport or campus shuttle | 27.50 | 10 |
| Motorcycle, motorized scooter/bike, or moped | 1 | 1 |
| Distance education / telecommute | 16 | 20 |
Website URL where information about student or employee commuting is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
NOTES
Data on student and employee commute mode split are from the self-reported 2022 U of U Commuter Survey. The University of Utah conducted commuter surveys in 2017, 2012, 2013 & 2014.
After the 2017 Commuter survey was administered, a graduate student was hired by the Sustainability Office to standardize the questionnaire format as a basis for consistent tracking and reporting. This tested questionnaire was used for the 2021 Commuter Survey administered by Commuter Services. Commuter Services staff
programmed the survey into the Qualtrics online survey platform and Gardner Institute staff reviewed the Qualtrics survey.
RESOURCES
University of Utah Commuter Survey, Fall 2021
The purpose of the Commuter Survey is to help the University of Utah achieve its long-term sustainability goals. The survey gathers data to measure Scope 3 emissions related to commuter travel as well as provide information on how students, faculty, and staff move to and from the University and within the campus. This study will serve as a baseline for longitudinal research that tracks O2 emissions over time and pinpoints changes in commuting patterns. While the 2017 Commuter Survey was directed by Facilities Management, this 2021 survey was directed by Commuter Services at the University of Utah. Commuter Services contracted with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute to provide an initial questionnaire review and analyze the data after it had been collected.
Survey responses discussed in this report provide details relating to commute length; origin and destination; time; mode; and emissions for several population subsets at the University of Utah. Some of these figures are reported by the University as part of its sustainability efforts through SIMAP (Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform) and AASHE STARS (Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System)reporting. Survey respondents also shared concerns and suggestions for commute improvement in their responses to an open-ended question.
Salt Lake City Transit Master Plan, Executive Summary 2017
URL: http://www.slcdocs.com/transportation/Plans/SLC_TMP_FULL_FINAL.pdf
NOTES
Data on student and employee commute mode split are from the self-reported 2022 U of U Commuter Survey. The University of Utah conducted commuter surveys in 2017, 2012, 2013 & 2014.
After the 2017 Commuter survey was administered, a graduate student was hired by the Sustainability Office to standardize the questionnaire format as a basis for consistent tracking and reporting. This tested questionnaire was used for the 2021 Commuter Survey administered by Commuter Services. Commuter Services staff
programmed the survey into the Qualtrics online survey platform and Gardner Institute staff reviewed the Qualtrics survey.
RESOURCES
University of Utah Commuter Survey, Fall 2021
The purpose of the Commuter Survey is to help the University of Utah achieve its long-term sustainability goals. The survey gathers data to measure Scope 3 emissions related to commuter travel as well as provide information on how students, faculty, and staff move to and from the University and within the campus. This study will serve as a baseline for longitudinal research that tracks O2 emissions over time and pinpoints changes in commuting patterns. While the 2017 Commuter Survey was directed by Facilities Management, this 2021 survey was directed by Commuter Services at the University of Utah. Commuter Services contracted with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute to provide an initial questionnaire review and analyze the data after it had been collected.
Survey responses discussed in this report provide details relating to commute length; origin and destination; time; mode; and emissions for several population subsets at the University of Utah. Some of these figures are reported by the University as part of its sustainability efforts through SIMAP (Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform) and AASHE STARS (Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System)reporting. Survey respondents also shared concerns and suggestions for commute improvement in their responses to an open-ended question.
Salt Lake City Transit Master Plan, Executive Summary 2017
URL: http://www.slcdocs.com/transportation/Plans/SLC_TMP_FULL_FINAL.pdf
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.