University of Maryland, College Park
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation

VeoRide is the new bike and electric scooter program at the University of Maryland and The City of College Park. In the Fall 2019 semester, VeoRide introduced a fleet of 150 electric bikes (e-bikes), 70 pedal bikes, and 70 e-scooters in 24 locations on and around campus. More information is available at: https://transportation.umd.edu/bikeumd-escooters

Additionally, Capital Bikeshare is a docked bikeshare system managed by jurisdictional partners in the Washington Metropolitan area. Three (3) stations are planned to be installed near or on-campus, connecting campus commuters with the broader regional bikeshare network of over 4,500 bikes and 500+ stations.

Faculty, staff, and students can take mass transit to campus and have the flexibility of running errands during the day. The ZipCar program allows any member of the campus community to conveniently borrow a car when needed (reservation required). Gas, insurance, and maintenance are included. In response to COVID-19, the ZipCar car-sharing service at the University of Maryland was paused for the Fall 2020 semester. More information is available at: http://www.transportation.umd.edu/smartcommute/carshare.html

In 2018 and 2019, UMD offered a 20% parking registration discount for low-emissions vehicles and parking bundle packs (10 daily parking passes) to assist commuters in making the transition to more sustainable modes of commuting while still having the option to drive some days. Sustainable transportation incentives are summarized online at: http://www.transportation.umd.edu/smartcommute/incentives.html

This program was suspended in 2020-2021 due to the COVID-19 remote learning and working environments.

There are 17 electric vehicle charging stations on campus located in visitor lots. One port provides 110 volts and takes 8 hours to charge a typical electric vehicle and the other port provides 220 volts and takes 4 hours to charge. These parking lots and charging stations are open to the public. More information is available at: https://transportation.umd.edu/sustainable-transportation/electric-vehicle-charging

The College Park City-University Partnership (“CPCUP”). Through this program, employees of the University of Maryland, College Park can receive $15,000, structured as a zero-interest, 10-year forgivable loan, in down payment/closing cost assistance for the purchase of a primary residence (single-family home, townhouse, condominium) in College Park, MD. More information is available at: https://uhr.umd.edu/cpcup-home-ownership-program/

UMD Smart Commute is the sustainable transportation program at the University of Maryland, College Park. The Smart Commute program run by UMD's Department of Transportation Services (DOTS) includes benefits for registered carpoolers. Some incentives for registered carpooling include preferential parking, free registration in the Guaranteed Ride Home program (which provides a free ride home if there is an emergency (faculty/staff only)), and parking in any carpool designated space located in all garages on campus. More information is available at: http://www.transportation.umd.edu/smartcommute/carpool.html

Beginning in fall 2021, daily parking packages are sold in sets of five (5) and permits are available for 2-3 day periods, offering more flexibility and support for sustainable commute decisions. DOTS also offers pre-tax transit benefits for employees as well as reward programs on the Smart Commute platform for participants logging trips. Between 2018-2020, DOTS successfully offered two (2) annual parking cash-out programs.

The campus offers a variety of biking infrastructure including over 5,500 bike parking spaces and 10 bike repair stations. Additionally, all new residential and academic buildings are built and designed with a bike room for occupants.