Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.66
Liaison Eric Boles
Submission Date March 5, 2021
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Arkansas
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Ammen Jordan
Active Transportation Coordinator
Office for Sustainability
"---" 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:
Showers are provided at a dozen departmental buildings, and centrally located lockers with showers are at the Student Union and Recreational Center. The Rec Center also includes a full service bicycle shop. The Student Union also has a Bike Fix-it stations for bicyclists to conduct repairs on bikes. There is covered, secure bicycle parking in a number of locations within the core of campus. Bicycle theft is rare on the UA campus, but commuters still appreciate the ability to store their bike away from the sun and rain.

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:
The University of Arkansas hosts over 1,800 spaces of bicycle parking distributed among 60 locations campus-wide. The UofA is committed to building to LEED Silver standards, which always includes bicycle parking. All residence halls have outdoor bicycle parking along with a policy of letting students bring their bicycles inside. Several residence halls have covered/secure bike storage locations.

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:
The University of Arkansas Campus Transportation Plan is a comprehensive transportation strategy with an emphasis on active transportation. This plan was completed in 2015 by Nelson-Nygaard and was a partnership with the City of Fayetteville. The UofA campus adheres to complete street policy with new street design and renovations.

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:
Veo-Ride is a bicycle sharing program that is jointly sponsored by the University of Arkansas and City of Fayetteville. It is a dock-less system that makes bicycles available to all citizens of Fayetteville. University of Arkansas members get discounted rates on the annual membership. There are both traditional 7-speed bicycles and 3-speed electric assist bicycles. The system is slowly being converted to all electric assist bicycles.

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:
Razorback Transit is a free service for the whole community. They provide approximately 1.8 million rides per year to campus users and to the community.

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?:
No

A brief description of the carpool/vanpool program:
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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 of Arkansas has partnered with Zip Car and SUMO to provide a car sharing service for students, faculty, and staff, but neither have been very well utilized.

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:
The university currently has one Level 2 electric vehicle recharging station with 2 plugs and is installing another Level 2 station in 2021. They're available to the public.

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:
The UofA Staff Handbook allows personnel and their supervisors to establish telecommuting if it serves the needs of the university and the employee. Although telecommuting is not specifically mentioned as a flexible schedule, Fayetteville Policies & Procedures 412.3 addresses the University's support of this arrangement, when appropriate. As of 2020, telecommuting is well utilized across campus.

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:
The Staff Handbook provides for "a work week with a time schedule that differs from the regular daily schedule if it serves both your needs and those of the University." Sections 5.1 and 5.2 address work schedules and flexible scheduling.

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 UA Office For Sustainability provides a personalized Commuter Menu to all new employees and existing employees by request. The Commuter Menu is a door-to-door analysis of transportation options that considers time, calories burned, cost per year, and carbon emissions. This objective analysis encourages employees to live closer to campus to reduce time and cost of commuting. The UA also

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 most important tool in the toolbox when trying to transition mode share away from single-occupancy-vehicles is having all students, faculty, and staff pay for parking. The University of Arkansas charges for parking and has a demand based rate structure. Parking passes in the core of campus are as high as $926/yr or $1.80/hr to park in a parking garage. The most affordable parking pass ($70.49/yr) is a commuter lot that requires a bicycle ride or free campus shuttle to actually get to the campus. Positive reinforcement is great, but charging UA affiliates a market rate for parking has made a significant contribution to our positive mode shift. The revenue from parking is used to partially cover the expense of providing a free transit system to the community.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://sustainability.uark.edu/transportation/index.php

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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