University of Houston
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Institution has implemented one or more of the following strategies to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and reduce the impact of student and employee commuting. The institution:

• Provides secure bicycle storage (not including office space), shower facilities, and lockers for bicycle commuters. The storage, shower facilities and lockers are co-located in at least one building/location that is accessible to all commuters.
• Provides short-term bicycle parking (e.g. racks) for all occupied buildings and makes long-term bicycle storage available for students who live on-site (if applicable). Long-term bicycle storage may include bicycle depots/hubs/stations, indoor bicycle rooms, and/or bicycle cages/secure bicycle parking areas. Standard public bicycle racks are not sufficient for long-term storage.
• Has a bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy (or adheres to a local community plan/policy) that sets standards and practices for campus streets to enable safe access for all users (e.g. a “complete streets” or bicycle accommodation policy)
• Has a bicycle-sharing program or participates in a local bicycle-sharing program.
• Offers free or reduced price transit passes and/or operates a free campus shuttle for commuters. The transit passes may be offered by the institution itself, through the larger university system of which the institution is a part, or through a regional program provided by a government agency.
• Offers a guaranteed return trip (GRT) program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation
• Participates in a car/vanpool or ride sharing program and/or offers reduced parking fees or preferential parking for car/vanpoolers
• Participates in a car sharing program, such as a commercial car-sharing program, one administered by the institution, or one administered by a regional organization
• Has one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters
• Offers a telecommuting program for employees, either as a matter of policy or as standard practice
• Offers a condensed work week option, for employees,either as a matter of policy or as standard practice, that reduces employee commuting
• Has incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus
• Other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting (e.g. preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, cash-out of parking programs)

This credit applies to all institutions.

Institutions earn 0.2 points for each initiative described above. Institutions with ten or more of the initiatives listed earn the maximum of 2 points available for this credit.

Timeframe

Report on current programs, practices and plansat the time of submission.

Sampling and Data Standards

Not applicable