Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.58
Liaison James Gordon
Submission Date March 3, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Thompson Rivers University
OP-21: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 James Gordon
Environmental Programs and Research Coordinator
TRU Office of Environment and Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:

TRU has storage, shower, and lockers for bicyclists, including a new covered bicycle shelter next to a new bike repair stand (which includes tools and air pump). There are also several other bicycle racks strategically placed around the campus.


Does the institution provide short-term bicycle parking (e.g. racks) within 50 ft (15 m) of all occupied, non-residential buildings and make long-term bicycle storage available within 330 ft (100 m) of all residence halls (if applicable)?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:

There is a bike rack within 50 ft of all occupied, non-residentail buildings. Residences are not within our scope for this report.


Does the institution have a “complete streets” or bicycle accommodation policy (or adhere to a local community policy) and/or have a continuous network of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian paths and lanes?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle/pedestrian policy and/or network:

All TRU paths around the entire campus are multi-use paths. Furthermore, the vehicle service road that encircles the whole campus has a dedicated multi-use shoulder that cyclists can use.


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:

The TRU Office of Environment and Sustainability has an Electric Bike Sharing Program, whereby any TRU student, staff or faculty member can borrow the e-bike free of charge for one week (after signing a waiver). The purpose of doing this is to let people get a feel for riding an e-bike so that they're sure it suits them before spending money on one. There is one bike in the program.


Is the institution certified as a Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists (U.S.) or under a similar third party certification covering non-motorized transportation?:
No

A brief description of the certification, including date certified and level:
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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 program(s), including availability, participation levels, and specifics about discounts or subsidies offered (including pre-tax options):

TRU Student Union UPASS - The TRUSU UPASS is an unlimited transit pass for the City of Kamloops transit system, provided to every student enrolled at TRU in Kamloops. The UPASS allows riders to get to and from classes, work, school, and elsewhere at a low cost--both financially and environmentally. The UPASS also provides a 50% discount for a monthly membership to the Tournament Capital Centre and free access to the Canada Games Aquatic Centre.
Employee ProPass - The ProPass is a permanent photo ID bus pass purchased through the TRU payroll deduction program, which is available to staff & faculty of TRU. The cost is $44.00 a month and will provide a savings of $108/year compared to purchasing regular monthly transit passes. Participants are required to sign up for a minimum of four months.


Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip (GRT) program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the GRT program:

Any TRU student or staff member that uses alternative modes of transportation and needs to get somewhere in Kamloops due to an unforseen circumstance (emergency, drastic weather, etc.) will get reimbursed the taxi fare to get to their destination.


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:

TRU’s Student Union, in cooperation with the Canadian Federation of Students, offers a Rideshare carpooling program, where users can post an online post about either offering to give someone a ride or a request for a ride. TRU also has a well-used carpool program, that lets users pay substantially less for long-term parking spots, which are located in very convenient spaces around campus.


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

A brief description of the car sharing program:

Fom early on in its development, members of the TRU Office of Environment and Sustainability have helped in various ways to get the new local car-share program off the ground. The Interior Car Shar Coop, known as InCar, has a board of directors, manager, members, and bank account, and is in the final stages of purchasing its first car.
http://www.kamloopscarshare.ca/


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

A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:

There are eight level 2 electric vehicle charging stations on campus that are free to use by anyone.


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

A brief description of the telecommuting program:
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Does the institution offer a condensed work week option for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
Yes

A brief description of the condensed work week program:

In accordance with the TRU/CUPE Collective Agreement, CUPE employees may, where feasible, work a compressed work week. The compressed work week, in general, consists of working an additional half hour over a period of 14 days. The 15th day in a three week period is considered a rest day.


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

A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
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Does the institution have other incentives or programs to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and reduce the impact of student and employee commuting?:
Yes

A brief description of other sustainable transportation initiatives and programs:

Partial Parking Stall Program - Drivers who only park their vehicle at TRU for a set amount of days during the five school days per week (they can decide if it will be 1, 2, 3 or 4 days), and then take alternative modes of transportation during the other day(s), will only have to pay the commensurate amount of parking fees (ie, if they only park 2 of the 5 days, then they only pay 2/5 of the weekly parking fee).
Free Moped Parking - Anyone parking a moped at TRU, can do so for free. The program may be expanded to include all 250 cc or smaller motorcycles as well.
Bike Shelter and Repair Stand - TRU installed a covered bike shelter to lock up bikes, and a repair stand where you can do simple repairs/maintenance with provided tools and an air pump.
Bicycle Events - TRU is an active participant in events that promote bicycle commuting and riding (Kamloops Bike To Work Week, and the Multiple Sclerosis Kamloops River Ride).
Sustainability Grant Fund - TRU’s Sustainability Grant Fund received numerous proposals for its inaugural intakes in 2013. The successful applicants received funding to implement projects that not only reduce GHG emissions, but foster environmental literacy and campus community engagement, advance applied research, and demonstrate the viability of sustainability technologies. The $100,000 fund is available to any students, staff of faculty members in the TRU community who successfully proposes a project that advances sustainability at TRU. The SGF was established to improve TRU’s operational environmental community, and was created through an increase in campus parking fees. The fee increase has also significantly reduced single occupancy vehicles entering campus, resulting in less congestion and GHG emissions.
Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment program - In the spring of 2013 TRU received financial assistant from the Fraser Basin Council to install 10 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations at the 2 main campuses (Kamloops and Williams Lake). That fall TRU was selected by the Fraser Basin Council as one of only four organizations across BC to participate in an Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment pilot study. The EV suitability pilot studied the duty cycle of TRU fleet vehicles to determine if existing vehicles could be replaced with comparable EV or hybrid vehicles. The study identified significant financial savings and reduced GHG emissions associated with replacing existing fossil fuel powered vehicles with EV or hybrids. The study will act as a guide for TRU’s Facilities managers when they are replacing and updating TRU’s existing fleet vehicles in the coming years.
Electric Golf Carts - Electric golf carts encourage staff to avoid the use of fossil-fuel powered vehicles when moving about campus. Although still quite new, a free electric bike loan-out program has been a popular alternative used by staff to commute to and from work, in some cases as far as 20 kilometres away. Through Plug-in BC, TRU was approved for funding for eight electric vehicle charging stations. Installation of those stations at both the Kamloops and Williams Lake campuses is now complete.


The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable transportation program(s) is available:
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.