Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.52
Liaison Andrew D'Amico
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Princeton University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Charles Tennyson
Director
Transportation & Parking Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Support for Cyclists and Pedestrians 

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

None
A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:
There are some shower facilities in academic buildings and the facilities building that bikers can use.

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

None
A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:
There is some covered bike parking offered in the campus parking garages and at the Princeton train station bike rack.

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:
Transportation and Parking Services produced a map for bicyclists; the map serves pedestrians equally well. The publication is available online and in relevant offices for campus commuters.

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:
Starting in fall 2014, Princeton introduced a new bike-sharing program in partnership with the company, Zagster, which has since expanded to 111 bikes at 14 locations on main campus, plus an additional one at the Forrestal campus and one in the local community. Bikes can be rented free of charge for the first two hours, and for $2 per hour after that. Initial membership costs $20. There are currently 1,489 active members.

Mass Transit Programs 

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:
Princeton University full-time, benefits-eligible employees and graduate students who commute to campus via mass transit are eligible to receive a free NJ Transit bus pass or a 50% subsidy on his or her monthly rail transit pass. In addition to the 50% reimbursement, HR offers employees the option of taking pre-tax dollars to pay for transit passes. Additionally, both Princeton Undergraduate and Graduate students are eligible to receive a 25% off a regular rail, bus, or light rail monthly pass when enrolled through NJ Transit's Quik-Tik program. The University also offers a new campus shuttle service to and from Princeton Junction route during peak commute hours.

Guaranteed Return Trip Program 

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:
The Transportation Demand Management program provides an occasional ride home to commuters who use alternative modes of transportation to work in cases of personal/family illness or emergency, or unscheduled/unplanned overtime. The program is subsidized and free of charge to the users.

Carpool/Vanpool Programs 

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 Rideshare Carpool Service is a free carpool matching service for Princeton University faculty and staff. The program provides interested applicants with a match list of other Princeton University community members who live and work near them and want to carpool. Commuters set up their own carpools to fit their particular commuting needs. Princeton also offers a vanpool service. Vanpools operate in a similar manner to carpools, only they carry more individuals than a typical carpool. Vanpooling is particularly suitable for longer commutes (10 miles or more each way). Each vanpool must have at least five riders to be economically efficient. Under the new Revise Your Ride pilot program, the University is currently offering enhanced incentives to encourage participation. Each member of a carpool will receive a $400 annual incentive and each member of a vanpool will receive a $200 annual incentive plus exclusive use of a University van. Premium parking assignments are available in some campus lots and the garages under both programs.

Car Sharing 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

None
A brief description of the car sharing program:
Transportation & Parking Services has partnered with Enterprise CarShare to provide car sharing services for the Princeton University community. Enterprise CarShare vehicles are conveniently located on campus and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are 17 cars in the CarShare fleet with 806 active members making nearly 500 reservations per month or almost 6,000 for the year. University employees enrolled in the TDM Program receive free enrollment for short-term rentals.

EV Recharging Stations 

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

None
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
During the fall of 2017, the University installed five charging stations on the first level of the West Garage and five charging stations will soon be added to the second level of the North garage. Each station can charge up to two cars at a time.

Telecommuting and Condensed Work Week Programs 

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

None
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
The University does not currently have a policy specific to telecommuting, however the University does have a Flexible Work Arrangement policy which could support work from home arrangements. In addition, Princeton’s Human Resources department has piloted an internal telecommuting program and expects to recommend a policy to support such arrangements.

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:
The University offers a condensed work week to limited departments during the summer months.

Other Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Commuting 

Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
The University operates the Standard Mortgage Program, which offers favorable mortgage rates and terms to eligible faculty and staff to help members of the campus community purchase homes within a nine-mile radius of Nassau Hall or within the city of Trenton. Additionally, Princeton University formed a comprehensive Housing Master Plan in 2005 to enhance housing programs for faculty, staff and graduate students. The newly opened Merwick Stanworth apartment complex, located just north of campus, is a residential community for University faculty, staff and their families. The complex features a mix of unfurnished apartments and townhouses, including affordable units available to local residents with low-to-moderate incomes. Additionally, the new Lakeside Graduate Housing complex provides housing for more than 700 graduate students in 74 townhome units and 255 apartments. Both are managed by American Campus Communities of Austin, Texas.

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:
The University owns and operates the Cyclab, a student-run bicycle cooperative on campus. The Cyclab is staffed by student and community volunteer mechanics who will repair bicycles for the Princeton University community for free. Additionally, the Cyclab hosts bike-related events, workshops, classes, and group rides.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://transportation.princeton.edu/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Additional Links: Housing: http://hres.princeton.edu/ Information about the Cyclab: https://cyclab.princeton.edu/ Flexible Work Arrangement policy: https://www.princeton.edu/hr/policies/conditions/5.0/5.0.3/

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