Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 63.76
Liaison Tarah Rowse
Submission Date March 10, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Skidmore College
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Levi Rogers
Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment
Sustainability Office
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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:
Harder Hall and the Williamson Sports Center have showering facilities that may be used by bicyclists, and the Sports Center has lockers that riders may use to store personal items.

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:
Each residence hall and 22 on-campus apartment buildings have secure bicycle storage areas for short-term bicycle parking. Wait Hall has a secure bike storage room that any student living in a residence hall may use for long-term storage.

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:
In 2010, students in a sustainable mobility course wrote a comprehensive analysis of Skidmore’s sustainable mobility infrastructure and drafted a set of recommendations to enhance mobility for pedestrians and cyclists. Many of the recommendations have been implemented, including the construction of the Perimeter Road walking path, a pathway that connects “north” and “south” campus, and a campus bike share program. Skidmore members also serve on a number of community committees focused on improving sustainable transportation infrastructure in Saratoga Springs. Projects include developing a city-wide bike share program and a comprehensive multi-modal trail system.

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:
BikeMore a student-run bike share program operated through the Sustainability Office. There are 15 bicycles available for students, faculty, staff, and visitors of the College. Bicycles may be used to ride around campus, to run errands downtown, or to explore Saratoga Springs. The automated check-out system provides users with 24-hour access to the bicycles, all of which are located at the bike hub outside of the Lucy Scribner Library. The program has over 500 registered users.

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:
All Skidmore students, faculty, and staff may ride the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) bus system for free, including routes in Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Troy, and Albany. We recorded about 75,000 total rides by Skidmore members in 2015.

Guaranteed Return Trip Program 

Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
No

A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:
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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:
Skidmore faculty and staff may access a carpooling site with nine e-mail lists, each corresponding to a carpool zone. Students may access an online rideshare board to set up carpools for school breaks and weekend trips.

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:
Three vehicles are available to the Skidmore community for academic and co-curricular trips. Any Skidmore student, faculty, or staff member may apply to become an approved driver. Upon authorization, individuals and groups may reserve any of the vehicles for regional trips.

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:
Skidmore has one electric vehicle charging station is located in the Palamountain parking lot. Two parking spaces are reserved for electric vehicle charging only.

Telecommuting and Condensed Work Week Programs 

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

None
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
Skidmore faculty members are not required to work on campus on days when their teaching, research, and service obligations do not require them to be on campus. Skidmore has transitioned to a paperless admissions process. Since this transition, Admissions Officers are allowed to work off campus or from home on certain days during the application reading season.

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:
Employees are offered a reduced or flexible work week during the summer. There are also sporadic examples of flexible work weeks within departments across the college. During the academic year, some decisions regarding flexible work weeks are made by departments and depend on the department’s particular needs and the structure of the position.

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:
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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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Optional Fields 

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.