University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
OP-21: Support for Sustainable Transportation

The new, centrally-located Genome Sciences Building includes covered bike racks, lockers and showers. Additionally, covered bike storage is available in the parking deck of the FedEx Global Education Center. Showers are available at both recreation centers and an increasing number of office and classroom buildings. Lockers are available at both recreation centers, as well as in various student lounges in academic buildings across campus. An interactive map of bike racks, showers, bike lanes and bike pumps is available through Engineering Information Services.

Bike racks are located within 50ft of all residence halls, libraries, and classroom and administrative buildings. During 2012-13, 37 new racks were installed, bringing total bike parking capacity to 5,464.

An extensive pedestrian network, characterized by brick walkways and low stone walls, serves most parts of campus well. Improved crosswalks and streetscape improvements have made many intersections safer for pedestrians. The new Koury Oral Health Sciences Building anchors a pedestrian bridge across busy Manning Drive. Biannual lighting tours and improved LED lighting enhance campus safety. A capital project fee funds a priority list of pedestrian safety improvements. Two Bike Master Plans are being developed concurrently. The UNC effort, led by Facilities Planning in partnership with Public Safety, is focused on improving bike circulation, infrastructure, and parking on campus. The Town plan seeks to create a more connected bicycle network and make biking safer throughout the community. Both plans include surveys and public feedback.

Tar Heel Bikes (bike share program) was launched in August 2012. It provides 30 bikes for free, short-term loan to residents of 4 high-rise residence halls. During the first semester, 3,400 total check-outs demonstrated enthusiastic response. After a 2-year pilot, the program will be evaluated for potential expansion.

Free since 2002, the Chapel Hill Transit (CHT) system provides more than 7 million rides annually and offers real-time, online bus locators to reduce waiting time for riders. It is the second largest transit system in North Carolina, serving a 160-square-mile service territory. UNC contributes more than $7 million annually to operate CHT's fixed route and demand-responsive service within the municipal boundaries of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Participants in the nationally recognized Commuter Alternatives Program (CAP) may choose to receive an annual "GoPass," conferring unlimited free rides on the Triangle's regional transit system, as well as on the Durham Area Transit buses. Alternatively, CAP participants may also choose a free annual pass on the PX route, connecting UNC to the town of Pittsboro. Program incentives also include access to 10 UNC and Chapel Hill/Carrboro park-and-ride lots, discounts at local merchants, entry into prize drawings, and emergency rides home. For more information about CAP: http://www.dps.unc.edu/CAP Additionally, UNC's Department of Public Safety runs a free shuttle service from 7:00 pm until 3:00 am around campus when school is in session. For more information about this program: http://www.dps.unc.edu/Transit/campustransit/p2p/p2p.cfm

For those who use alternative transportation, there are several programs that insure easy access to emergency transportation should the need arise. For all CAP Participants, UNC’s Point-2-Point service offers the Emergency Ride Back Service (ERB). The ERB service is provided for sudden, urgent, unexpected, and unscheduled situations. CAP participants never have to worry about being stranded. The Point-2-Point vehicles provide campus-to-car and campus-to-home service to any park & ride lot served by Chapel Hill Transit and to any destination falling within the Carrboro and Chapel Hill city limits. Triangle Transit has its own emergency ride program called Emergency Ride Home. Everyone, including non-CAP participants, may use the program and it can be used on any day that an alternative commuting method has been used - even one unaffiliated with Triangle Transit.

Zimride is a free, web-based ride-matching system made available by Department of Public Safety. Students can find rides home during school breaks, and commuters can search multiple attributes associated with potential carpooling partners. The UNC Zimride network has posted over 2 million miles of rides, potentially avoiding over 500,000 (updated Jan. 29, 2014) pounds of CO2 emissions since 2010. ShareTheRideNC is a free, statewide ride-sharing matching service for vanpools. This online service is offered by Triangle Transit for commuters arriving from the north and east, Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation for commuters arriving from the west, and NC Department of Transportation. ride a vanpool regularly. Those who sign up for the CAP receive $20 per month off the cost of the vanpool and parking in driver's lot of choice. http://zimride.unc.edu http://www.gotriangle.org/rideshare/carpool/

Zipcar is a subscription-base service, now entering its 10th year, that enables member departments and individuals to check-out 8 cars (including 3 hybrids) parked on campus for a low hourly rate. The cars are available at convenient locations around campus. All UNC departments, individual staff, and students 18 years of age or older who are licensed drivers may apply to enroll in the program for business or personal trips. There is no fee for departments to register and the usage fee is $8.50 per hour. The UNC program is also available to the town of Chapel Hill.

The first three Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations are installed at the Cobb and Kenan-Flagler parking decks and the Facilities Services Building. The University plans to add three more stations in FY 2014. A new fee structure for parking permits covers electric vehicle owners seeking access to these dedicated spots.

The University supports tele-commuting as a trip and parking reduction strategy, and it is an element of the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program. Each departmental director or chair may set a policy regarding telecommuting for that department. If the department chooses to make telecommuting available for its employees, it must do so in very specific ways. "Managers are encouraged to be as flexible as possible in accommodating the work/life needs of employees, but the decision to set and/or adjust employee work schedules is made by management, not by the individual employee."

The University’s Office of Human Resources strongly encourages departments “to be as flexible as possible in allowing for alternative work schedules.” As a part of these flexible work arrangements, the University accommodates “compressed” work schedules that meet "the overall needs of the organization, the supervisor, and the employee."

The University Transportation Demand Manager, in conjunction with the regional GoTriangle team, previously published a guide showing rental units located close to transit lines. This guide was distributed at student orientation and like events. The new iteration of this guide is currently in development as an App. Fare free buses make commuting free for employees. Participants in the nationally recognized Commuter Alternatives Program (CAP) may choose to receive an annual "GoPass," conferring unlimited free rides on the Triangle's regional transit system, as well as on the Durham Area Transit buses. Alternatively, CAP participants may also choose a free annual pass on the PX route, connecting UNC to the town of Pittsboro.

Launched by two sophomore business students in fall 2013, BuzzRides provides free, late-night transportation to UNC students using a fleet of four, small electric cars. Parties of four or more students can call or flag down the cars for rides to destinations that are within two miles of campus. The founders obtained advice from the 1789 students business incubator and investors funded the vehicles. The fleet also provides mobile, interactive advertising. The first partnership is with Roote NC, a student-run nonprofit that promotes natural, organic, and sustainable North Carolina products. At the retail location, customers can sample products, then order them online at touchscreen kiosks. Hybrids now account for 29 of the 99 fixed route buses in the Chapel Hill Transit fleet.