Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.22
Liaison Mary Ellen Mallia
Submission Date Dec. 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University at Albany
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.60 / 2.00 Mary Ellen Mallia
Director of Environmental Sustainability
Finance and Business
"---" 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?:
No

None
A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:
The University at Albany provides shower facilities with lockers accessible to bicycle commuters in several buildings on campus. All new construction provides shower facilities and lockers in each building. There is a covered area where bikes can be parked at two areas near the academic buildings and at quad locations but no formal bike storage is provided.

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)?:
No

None
A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:
The University at Albany provides secure “hoop” (providing two places of contact on bicycle frame) bicycle rack parking at all new and renovated buildings, and is in the process of replacing all existing racks with “hoop” racks. Bicycle racks are located within 50 ft of the majority of non-residential buildings. There are several bicycle fix-it stations . We currently do not offer long-term bicycle 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?:
No

A brief description of the bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy:
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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 University at Albany offers a bike sharing program for on-campus students. The program is offered through Campus Recreation. Students can rent bikes for free, and are given helmets and bike locks. There are 20 bikes available in the bike share program. The region recently created a bike share program and installed a rack on the uptown and downtown campus. This does require a membership to rent the bikes as well as a small fee to use the bike but they can be left in any of the rack locations in the tri-city area

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:
Yes, the University will provide a 20% discount on parking decals for a low-emitting and/or fuel-efficient vehicle on campus. Vehicles will be considered fuel efficient vehicles that get more than 35 MPG combined city/highway. This discount is available upon request to campus personnel, including students, staff and faculty. Yes, Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) services are available to University at Albany members at no charge that utilize a valid UAlbany ID card through its Universal Access Program. CDTA partners with many area colleges and universities to provide students with comprehensive transportation services. Each college has its own unique transportation arrangement tailored to their needs by using our regular fixed route, express and commuter routes that offer convenient service to colleges throughout the Capital Region. Yes, The University at Albany also operates a Mass Transit system that offers bus service on all UAlbany at no charge. All UAlbany buses are equipped with GPS devices in order for passengers to obtain real-time bus information and to add a level of safety and security. The UAlbany bus system covers a wide area including the east campus, downtown & uptown campuses, as well as apartment & shopping shuttles.

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 participates in the 511 NY program which offers a "Guaranteed Ride Home" service for students, faculty, and staff who regularly ride a bus, carpool, vanpool, bicycle and/or walk to the campus.

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:
Yes, UAlbany has an employer module within NY 511 service provided in conjunction with state and local entities which provides a carpool program. Campus members can find ride matches at https://511nyrideshare.org/

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:
The University at Albany has partnered with Zipcar to provide a car sharing option. This program is eligible for students, faculty and staff who are 18 years or older and have a valid driver's license. The cars were available at several residential locations.

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:
Yes, the University has five level 2 chargers. These stations are available to students, faculty, staff, and visitors. One of the stations is located at Collins Circle Visitor lot, Indian Quad, SEFCU arena, Parking and Mass Transit offices for the uptown campus and one station on the downtown campus at Thurlow Parking lot.

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:
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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:
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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 has a program encouraging staff to purchase homes near the University. This involves a low interest loan in exchange for maintaining the home as a primary residence for no less than five years.

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 has a free bike registration program for all campus members

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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.