Amherst College
OP-14: Commute Modal Split

14.1 Percentage of students and employees using more sustainable commuting options

An institution earns 6 points when all of its students and employees use more sustainable commuting options (i.e., alternatives to single-occupancy cars, vans, and trucks). Incremental points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report the most recent annual (fiscal or calendar year) data available from within the previous three years. Use the most recent single year for which data is available or an average from throughout the period. Representative samples may be used to gather data about commuting behavior. 

Report population figures from the same time period as that from which commuting data are drawn, e.g., an average from throughout the performance period or a snapshot at a single representative point.

Report either the percentage of trips for which students and employees use more sustainable options or the percentage of students and employees that use more sustainable commuting options (or a combination of these options) as their primary means of transportation. Students who live on campus should be included on the basis of how they travel to and from their classes. Employees who live on campus should be included on the basis of how they travel to and from their workplaces. 

An institution that tracks commuting behavior for academic staff and non-academic staff separately (e.g., for purposes of greenhouse gas accounting) should combine those figures in a way that reflects the proportional representation of each population. For example, if 60 percent of academic staff (who comprise 40 percent of all employees) use more sustainable options and 40 percent of non-academic staff (who comprise 60 percent of all employees) use more sustainable options, the percentage of employees using more sustainable options would be 48:  (0.6 × 40) + (0.4 × 60).

Applicable to all institutions.