| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.67 |
| Liaison | Julie Newman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 30, 2021 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
MIT
Office of Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
Current MIT employees and students can buy subsidized annual Bluebikes memberships and ride at a discounted hourly rate. The subsidized annual membership for MIT employees and students is $35 (regularly $99).
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
MIT partners with Zip Car to provide low-cost carsharing services on campus. MIT hosts 11 Zipcars on campus and sponsors Zipcar memberships for staff and students. An MIT-sponsored member pays no application fee, no security deposit, and just a $35.00 annual fee.
Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:
MIT reserves convenient parking spots for fuel efficient vehicles. The spots are annotated with signs.
Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
MIT students, faculty, staff, and visitors may charge electric vehicles while parked on campus. Currently, the campus has 14 charging stations offering a total of 24 pumps, available at the Stata and E62 garages, the North Area at Building 46, and the West Area at WW15.
Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
MIT has a faculty assistance housing program, which is a tax-efficient, minimum interest, second mortgage program to assist newly hired or recently tenured faculty in purchasing a home in the expensive local area housing market (within a 50-mile radius of campus).
Does the institution have other programs or initiatives to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and/or reduce the impact of student and employee commuting?:
A brief description of other programs or initiatives to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and/or reduce the impact of student and employee commuting:
MIT has a Transportation Committee by the President, which holds the responsibility for policy development. The Committee meets regularly to discuss and recommend new strategies for reducing the impact of commuting. One outgrowth of the Transportation Commitee is the Access MIT program, which began in 2016 and continues through the present. Access MIT represents the Institute’s progressive vision for rethinking the culture of commuting and encouraging sustainable transportation practices. The Access MIT program provides commuters with the flexibility to choose, day-to-day, how they would like to commute, and encourages the utilization of a variety of transportation options over the course of a given week. Commuter benefits include: free, unrestricted use of the MBTA subway and local bus systems for benefits-eligible Cambridge campus MIT faculty and staff with the Access MIT pass; a 50-60 percent commuter rail subsidy for students, faculty, and staff; a 50 percent subsidy for parking at MBTA stations, up to $100 per month; reimbursement for up to 50 percent of private transit commuting costs, up to $255 per month; and a daily rate parking program that gives commuters the flexibility to choose different transportation modes on different days.
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainable transportation is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The responses for this credit are based on information as of MIT's fiscal year 2020. Due to the pandemic, MIT is in the process of designing guidance and policies around flexible work arrangements for employees. For the most up-to-date information about MIT's support for sustainable transportation, see: https://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/.
The responses for this credit are based on information as of MIT's fiscal year 2020. Due to the pandemic, MIT is in the process of designing guidance and policies around flexible work arrangements for employees. For the most up-to-date information about MIT's support for sustainable transportation, see: https://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/.
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.