Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 62.59
Liaison Pamela Mischen
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Binghamton University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Christina Knickerbocker
Director, Student Affairs Assessment and Strategic Initiatives (SAASI)
Students Affair
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution provide secure bicycle storage (not including office space), shower facilities, and lockers for bicycle commuters?:
Yes

A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:

Campus Recreation Center. Commuters who bike to campus can use the shower facilities and lockers located in the Campus Recreation Center. Secure bike storage is provided through bike racks outside of the building.


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)?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:

Short-term Bicycle Parking. Short-term bicycle parking is available through our bike racks located throughout the main campus as well as the University Downtown Center, and the Industrial Technology Complex. Maps of bike rack locations, as well as other bike commuting information is publicized through our Binghamton University Bike Share (BUBS) is a free, bike-sharing service for the Binghamton University community.
Bike storage rooms are located in all of the residential housing buildings for residents who seek indoor storage while they reside on campus.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy:

The University’s Parking and Transportation Stakeholders Group includes students and faculty is chaired by the Vice President for Student Affairs. Working with the Committee on University Environment and the Personal Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) this group recently completed a three year plan to increase the navigability and safety of campus. The group continues to make the campus roadways safer for pedestrians and bikers.

Speed Bumps & Speed Monitoring. To protect the safety of Binghamton students, the university installed speed bumps for pedestrian safety. LED speed limit monitoring systems are also in place to protect drivers and pedestrians.
New Sidewalk connectors. New sidewalks have been added to accommodate pedestrian traffic to parking lots, and planting berms to direct pedestrian traffic to crosswalks as the safest places to cross the road.


Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:

Binghamton University Bike Share. Binghamton University Bike Share (BUBS) is a free, bike-sharing service for the Binghamton University community. Our program aims to help to reduce carbon emissions, alleviate traffic congestion and promote a healthy, active lifestyle. Bike maintenance assistance is also provided by this student organization.

http://binghamtonbikeshare.com/


Does the institution offer free or reduced price transit passes and/or operate a free campus shuttle for commuters?:
Yes

A brief description of the mass transit programs:

Off Campus College Transport (OCCT). Binghamton University’s student-operated OCCT buses provide transportation for University students and community members to and from both campuses as well as other destinations throughout Greater Binghamton. These blue buses log in more than 500 hours of service each week. Students, faculty, & staff can ride, with a valid Binghamton University ID, on both OCC Transport and Broome County Transit at no cost to them. Both bus systems are equipped with bike racks on the front of the buses.


Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
No

A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:
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Does the institution participate in a car/vanpool or ride sharing program and/or offer reduced parking fees or preferential parking for car/vanpoolers?:
Yes

A brief description of the carpool/vanpool program:

Designated Preferred Parking Spaces. Binghamton University offers designated preferred parking spaces for those driving qualified, fuel-efficient vehicles as well as those who carpool. There are two car pool options available - ENACTUS Carpooling Initiative which is a student organization that coordinates carpooling as part of their sustainability mission, and Broome Tioga RideShare.
ENACTUS Carpooling Initiative. Those who register with ENACTUS are given a pass to park in a lot as long as three people are in the car - thereby reducing the carbon footprint of two other cars that would have been in use that day.
Broome Tioga Rideshare. Binghamton University also offers the option to carpool via the Broome Tioga Rideshare program, a FREE Internet-based rideshare matching service sponsored by the Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study. Broome-Tioga Rideshare helps you find carpool partners by searching for others who live near you and have similar schedules and lifestyle preferences.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the car sharing program:

Zipcar. Zipcar car-sharing service for students, faculty and staff features 3 new vehicles drivers 18+ can rent for low, by-the-hour or by-the-day rates. Cars are located on campus for easy access.


Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
Yes

A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:

Charging Stations. Electric vehicle charging stations are located in the parking garage which is accessible to student and employee commuters.


Does the institution offer a telecommuting program for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
No

A brief description of the telecommuting program:
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Does the institution offer a condensed work week option that reduces employee commuting (as a matter of policy or standard practice)?:
No

A brief description of the condensed work week option:
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Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
Yes

A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:

Free Bus Use. We consider the usage of the local bus system at no cost to the employee as strategy to encourage employees to live close to the campus. The usage of the bus system is free to them (with a valid Binghamton University ID).


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)?:
Yes

A brief description of other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting:

As a member of NYS Governor Cuomo’s Southern Tier Economic Development Council submitted a plan as part of the competition for Upstate Revitalization. This submission included and was selected as a “Best Plan Awardee.”

Route 434 Greenway/Bike Trail. The trail is designed to make the commute between Binghamton University and Downtown Binghamton more accessible for students and community members. If constructed along state route 434 between Vestal and Binghamton,the Greenway project would facilitate a local transportation ecosystem friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists. The Greenway is an essential component of New York State's ambition to serve as a national model for sustainable transportation.
Discover the River Trails Bike Ride. This course through Binghamton Outdoor Pursuits offers participants to discover some of the great ways to safely commute between downtown and campus without hitting the Parkway. The tour will start as participants head from campus toward downtown's Washington St. bridge. Cyclists will then ride to Otsiningo Park and back..
The campus is a member of at least three professional organizations associated with campus transportation:
International Parking Institute (IPI). IPI's purpose is advancing the parking profession through leadership, education, professional development, conferences, connections, data collection, advocacy, & outreach.
New York State Parking Association (NYSPA). The NYSPA is a statewide organization created to enhance the development of parking professionals within the State of New York to provide a forum in which New York State parking professionals can network, share and disseminate information specific to the parking industry, and to speak with a united voice. Our Director of Parking is the current treasurer of the organization.
Campus Parking and Transportation Association. The mission of the Campus Parking and Transportation Association is to promote and represent the parking industry on the campuses of colleges and universities. The organization is committed to enhancing the professional image of parking

Binghamton University Police. Binghamton University Police have incorporated the use of electric cars, bike patrols, solar- and battery-powered parking meters, interactive speed signs and computer-based reporting systems into their sustainability efforts. Currently, eight university police officers are certified bike patrol officers.
Binghamton University professor recognized for being a ‘supercommuter’:
Binghamton University Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Julian Shepherd was recently awarded the Supercommuter Distinction award, by PlanetBike, a major producer of bicycle products. The recognition as defined by PlanetBike honors individuals who ride through every season, in all types of weather, day and night, and simply prefer to ride a bike instead of a car.

Shepherd was nominated as a perfect example of the dedication a supercommuter embodies by friend and colleague, Matthew Johnson, who notes: “The only time I saw him not go to work on a bike is when there was so much snow that he skied to work instead.”

For the past 48 years, Shepherd has made commuting by bike part of his life and as a year-round rider, faces all sorts of weather challenges. A resident of Binghamton, New York, Shepherd has been a fan of the bicycle’s simplicity since childhood, which was spent in England. For decades, he has continued his passion for riding, and while he never had the desire to pursue racing or touring, Shepherd has always used a bike as his primary means of transportation. What started as an easy and inexpensive way to get around while in grad school in the 1960s has become an almost daily ritual.

Shepherd takes on his daily 7-mile commute aboard a Jamis cyclocross bike and although he isn’t anti car, he often lets the auto commuters he shares the road with, know why he’s riding his bike. “I like to wear a t-shirt designed by Earth Day students which has ‘ONE LESS CAR’ printed across the back, “says Shepherd. “Although it is not the best use of English, it sure gets the point across.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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