Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 75.64
Liaison Yolanda Cieters
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Seattle University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.40 / 2.00 Phillip Thompson
Director
CEJS
"---" 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 is one secured bike storage area for commuters. Additionally, there are showers and lockers located in the Student Center and in the Fitness Center for commuters.

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:
Bicycle racks are located around campus: 130 covered bike spaces and 215 uncovered bike spaces. There is one secured bike storage location.

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:
See Seattle University's Department of Transportation Policies and Regulations, Section VIII. Bicycle Parking and Riding on Campus: https://www.seattleu.edu/transportation/parking/regulations/#a28 VIII. Bicycle Parking and Riding On Campus A. REGISTRATION: The bicycle management program is intended to provide rider safety, to safeguard property, and to encourage an alternative means of transportation. With safety as the primary focus, bicycles must be kept out of buildings, away from building exits; and they must be parked away from paths and sidewalks. To prevent bicycle theft, all bicycle owners are required to register their bicycles, free of charge, at the Campus Public Safety Department Office. B. PARKING AREAS: Bicycles shall be parked in designated areas in racks. At no time shall a bicycle be parked in a building, near a building exit, on a pathway or sidewalk, in planted areas or chained or otherwise secured to trees, lamp standards, handrails, sign posts, etc. Except for bicycle racks adjacent to the residence halls, bicycle racks located in other campus areas are for temporary parking and are not to be used for overnight storage. C. AREAS OF OPERATION: Bicycles may be ridden in areas authorized for motor vehicles or on campus malls, yielding at all times to pedestrian traffic. All bicycle riders are to follow bicycle safety rules and regulations in accordance with state codes. D. ENFORCEMENT: Bicycles parked in violation of these regulations will be subject to impoundment by the University. An unregistered bicycle abandoned or parked on University land for three days or longer is subject to seizure and impound by the University. A bicycle will not be considered abandoned when the owner/operator is unable to remove it and so notifies the University Public Safety Department. Bicycles secured to trees, lamp standards, sign-posts, handrails, etc. are subject to immediate impoundment. Impounded bicycles will be stored by the University Public Safety Department. Bicycles will be released during business hours and upon presentation of proof of ownership. A payment of a $15.00 fine for violations will be satisfied before bicycles are released. Owners of impounded bicycles, if registered or otherwise identifiable, will be notified as soon as reasonably possible after impoundment. Bicycles unclaimed after (90) calendar days will be subject to disposal. The University and its officers, employees, and agents shall not be liable for loss or damage of any kind resulting from such impoundment and storage.

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:
At this time, the university does not have or participate in a bicycle-sharing program. But within Seattle, there are three dockless bicycle-sharing programs (SPIN, LimeBike, and Ofo)which are all very active in Seattle University's neighborhood.On any given day, the campus is surrounded by dozens of available bicycles from these sharing programs.

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:
Employees pay $11.58 a month for a university subsidized Transit Pass that includes: bus and train travel across three counties, and an emergency taxi ride home if needed. Transit Pass holders receive a complementary parking card for up to five days of parking each month should they need to park on campus. The university subsidizes student Transit Passes at 50%. There is a complimentary safety escort shuttle that operates during the academic year that is available to current university employees and students called the Night Hawk. The Night Hawk Safety Escort program provides a safe shuttle to travel to and from campus during evening hours within set boundaries around the campus. The shuttle boundary is approximately 6 blocks from campus.

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 university pays for a cab ride home in case of an emergency for employees who do not take their car to work - these employees are typically Orca Transit pass users, a part of a carpool, vanshare, vanpool, or rideshare.

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:
Carpool: Employees and students who enroll in carpool pay a reduced rate for their carpool parking permit. Each member of the carpool group is provided a Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) card that allows them to drive as a single occupant vehicle to campus approximately 1 day per week. Employees and students who want to find groups to ride share with register using their Seattle University email at RideshareOnline.com. Vanpool and Vanshare: King County Metro supplies a van for a group of employees and students to commute together, or provides access to other institution's vanpools commuting between similar locations. The group shares Metro's van use fee and Seattle University waives the on-campus parking fee for vans parked on campus. The university provides a link to vanshare and rideshare information.

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?:
No

None
A brief description of the car sharing program:
---

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?:
No

None
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
---

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:
---

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:
---

Other Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Commuting 

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

None
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
---

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:
Employees who are registered walkers receive a complementary parking card for five days of parking each month should they need to park on campus. There is a one-time yearly enrollment fee of $10 for this program. Employees who are registered bikers with the Department of Public Safety are eligible to receive a set of complimentary parking cards, which allow for five (5) days of free campus parking per month. The university offers a few incentives to students and employees who are registered bicyclists. These benefits include a secure commuter bike storage and access to shower and locker space.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.