Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.23
Liaison Merry Rankin
Submission Date Sept. 1, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Iowa State University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.80 / 2.00 Merry Rankin
ISU Director of Sustainability
Facilities Planning & Management
"---" 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:

For the most recent project (Vet Med and State Gym) locker rooms with showers and secure storage areas are available for campus users as well as secure bike storage.


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:

Bicycle parking racks are plentiful across campus. All bikes must be registered at the Iowa State parking division, but they then will have access to all bike racks found 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:

ISU and the City of Ames have collaborated to develop a series of bicycle trails and paths that provide connectivity for cyclists throughout the community and within the university. The trail network consists of separate trails, shared use trails, and bicycle friendly streets. Bicycle parking is located throughout campus near university residences as well as throughout the academic areas of campus. CyRide, the community transit, provides for bike friendly buses as well. The student body funded the installation of a bike pump service area.


Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
No

A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
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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 programs:

CyRide is a jointly funded city bus program that is supported by the City of Ames and Iowa State University. With routes both throughout campus and the entire city, passengers can access any point in Ames within two blocks. Routes are available every day of the week.

The fare structure is very simple: any ISU student who has paid fees for the current semester and who has a valid student ID can ride all routes for free. In addition, the routes that stay primarily within ISU’s campus are free to all riders. Alos, ISU Parking systems subsidize discounted passes for staff and faculty members


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

A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:

Iowa State University's Vanpool program has a guaranteed ride home if an emergency or illness occurs.


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:

Iowa State University offers two carpool/vanpool matching programs. The first is through ISU Transportation Services, which organizes a vanpool program. Specifically, they provide University-owned vans to groups of University employees who have regular work hours for the purpose of getting to and from work. One member drives and is responsible for the van; others pay a monthly fee to support the operating cost.

The ISU Student Government also offers a ride share program for students who commute to Ames for class or work. Through GSB’s website, students can access a list of rides being offered with times, pick-up locations, and driver contact information. GSB manages a similar webpage for students going home or on a road trip.


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:

Enterprise CarShare (formerly We Car) is a membership-based car-sharing program available to ISU students and employees who are looking for an alternative method of transportation that lowers the cost and reduces the hassles of traditional transportation. Cars are available for business, school or personal use, as opposed to ISU Transportation Services vehicles, which are for university-sponsored travel only. Reservation times are flexible, whether it is for one hour or for overnight. The two-car fleet at Iowa State features fuel-efficient Ford Focus vehicles. Reservations can be made online and payment is on an hourly basis, which includes gas & insurance. Finally, the cars are conveniently located close to students, with both parked in two of ISU’s main residential neighborhoods.


Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
No

A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
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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:

Iowa State University recognizes that Professional and Scientific employees may work from different locations and a variety of hours depending on the nature of the work. ISU recognizes that in some instances employees may work on an infrequent basis from home or remotely to achieve work life balance and still satisfy the requirements of the position.


Does the institution offer a condensed work week option that reduces employee commuting (as a matter of policy or standard practice)?:
Yes

A brief description of the condensed work week option:

Iowa State University supports the principles of flex-time for its employees in order to allow employees to maintain a work/life balance and better service to the public. It is the policy of the university to encourage each employing department to accommodate the reasonable requests of employees for alternative work schedules when such accommodation is consistent with the needs of the department to accomplish its objectives.


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 employ other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting (e.g. preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, cash-out of parking programs)?:
No

A brief description of other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.