| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.53 |
| Liaison | Rachael Wein |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2020 |
Smith College
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Rachael
Wein Assistant Director of Sustainability CEEDS |
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
Smith College's bicycle-sharing program comes in two forms: 1) active hosting and promotion of a multi-city bike share program as well as 2) the student organization- The Bike Kitchen. The bike kitchen's most direct mission is to provide the college with bicycle rentals and bike maintenance education. They not only provide bikes to members of the community but also help people learn how to fix their own bikes so that students do not have to rely on bike maintenance services elsewhere. Valley Bike Share is significantly discounted for Smith college participants and there is a central large bike rack on campus. https://www.valleybike.org/
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
Smith has partnered with Zipcar to offer the campus community an alternative to car ownership since August 2006. This program gives students another reason to avoid bringing a car to campus. Additionally, first year students are not allowed to have cars on campus, so this helps support the ZipCar program.
Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:
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:
There are 4 EV charging stations located within the main employee parking garage.
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:
The college offers a second mortgage loan to eligible newly hired employees who are relocating to the Northampton area. The Plan is designed to enhance the college's compensation package and to encourage the purchase of homes in the local area.
Additionally the college owns a limited number of private dwellings and apartments which are rented on a space-available basis and are within walking distance from campus. The members of the Smith College community who are eligible for rental housing are full-time faculty, full-time administrators, Area Coordinators (residence required), Ada Comstock Scholars, graduate students, and teaching assistants.
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:
Smith's parking opt-out program pays eligible employees to travel to and from work without driving a single-occupant (SOV) vehicle. The opt-out program is a voluntary program to encourage faculty and staff to find alternate ways to commute, such as carpooling, ridesharing, bicycling, walking and public transit. The college offers a two-tiered payment system. Under the terms of the program, employees receive an opt-out payment of $150 per year for choosing to leave their car at home and live within a one mile radius from the center of campus. For those living outside of the one-mile radius, a payment of $400 will be given. Participants will also be provided with free passes that will allow 18 days of campus parking each year for those days when a car is needed.
First-year students are prohibited from bringing their vehicles to campus. Any first-year student found in violation of this policy will be referred to the Smith College Judicial Board. A very limited number of permits are available for non-first-year undergraduates on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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 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.