Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.05
Liaison Yumiko Jakobcic
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Grand Valley State University
OP-21: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.88 / 2.00 Yumiko Jakobcic
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability Practices
"---" 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:

Full shower and locker room facilities are located in the Fieldhouse in Allendale, the L. William Seidman Center in Grand Rapids and Winter Hall in Grand Rapids. Information is on our website under the bike section.


Does the institution provide short-term bicycle parking (e.g. racks) within 50 ft (15 m) of all occupied, non-residential buildings and make long-term bicycle storage available within 330 ft (100 m) of all residence halls (if applicable)?:
No

A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:

The University offers short-term racks and a daily U-Lock rental program.


Does the institution have a “complete streets” or bicycle accommodation policy (or adhere to a local community policy) and/or have a continuous network of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian paths and lanes?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle/pedestrian policy and/or network:

GVSU's Master Plan incorporates a biking and pedestrian component. The purpose of those sections are to accommodate non-motorized modes of travel on GVSU's Allendale Campus and between the campus and the surrounding community. Key issues include preventing conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles on frequently used campus roads, and providing safe non-motorized links between campus and off-campus housing.


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:

The University refurbishes damaged bicycles from campus, and then makes them available to students. The bikes are available for a fee which pays for general maintenance of the bikes. 70 bikes are currently in circulation.


Is the institution certified as a Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists (U.S.) or under a similar third party certification covering non-motorized transportation?:
No

A brief description of the certification, including date certified and level:
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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 program(s), including availability, participation levels, and specifics about discounts or subsidies offered (including pre-tax options):

The Rapid offers 28 designated routes that service the greater Grand Rapids, Walker and Allendale area. Service includes free park and ride locations.


Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip (GRT) program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the GRT program:

All trips are free.


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:

The University is a member of the West Michigan Ride Share 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?:
Yes

A brief description of the car sharing program:

The WeCar Car Sharing program allows students, faculty, and staff to rent a vehicle by the hour providing a transportation option for those who do not have a vehicle on campus. By partnering with WeCar, owned by Enterprise Holdings, a parent company of Enterprise and National Car Rental, two vehicles are currently available for rental. Insurance is included in rental rates.


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:

Some of the 12 charging stations are dual mode and some are single mode. Stations provided at the Allendale campus, Pew Campus and Grand Valley campus in Muskegon, MAREC.


Does the institution offer a telecommuting program for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
Yes

A brief description of the telecommuting program:

The university program is called Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA). There are many instances of FWAs at GVSU today, however, FWAs may or may not work in every area of the university.  The GVSU FWA Toolkit provides appointing officers, supervisors and staff members assistance in making an informed decision to determine if workplace flexibility is suitable for the department and for the individual staff member.


Does the institution offer a condensed work week option for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
Yes

A brief description of the condensed work week program:

We have a flexible work arrangements program through the human resources office. The condensed work week is one of the options.


Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
No

A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
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Does the institution have other incentives or programs to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and reduce the impact of student and employee commuting?:
Yes

A brief description of other sustainable transportation initiatives and programs:

Enterprise CarShare Membership Program which allows students, faculty and staff to rent a vehicle by the hour, providing transportation for those who do not have a vehicle on campus. Currently, two vehicle rentals are located on the Allendale campus.


The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable transportation program(s) is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.