| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.12 |
| Liaison | Maria Dahmus |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
University of St. Thomas
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.80 / 1.00 |
Diana
Kaardal Director Transportation & Parking Services |
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
The university does not have a bicycle-sharing program at the time of this report. The university previously managed a bicycle check-out program for students and employees, which was discontinued. The university is exploring the possibility of re-launching it.
A bicycle-sharing program operated in the city of St. Paul in the past, but there is no program as of the time of this report. Nice Ride Minnesota operates a bikeshare service in Minneapolis, and a few of its stations are located in proximity to the university's Minneapolis campus.
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
St. Thomas hosts one HOURCAR vehicle in a parking lot on our Minneapolis campus. HOURCAR is a regional carsharing program in Minneapolis and St. Paul. HOURCAR's vehicle locations and program details are available at https://hourcar.org/
Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:
The university offers prime parking spaces for fuel-efficient vehicles in multiple parking ramps.
Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
The university offers electric vehicle charging stations in two parking ramps. Drivers can access these stations while paying an hourly parking fee. At the time of this report's submittal, the university has charging infrastructure for a total of six electric vehicles: three in the Tommie East parking ramp and three in the Tommie North parking ramp.
Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
Does the institution have other programs or initiatives to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and/or reduce the impact of student and employee commuting?:
A brief description of other programs or initiatives to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation and/or reduce the impact of student and employee commuting:
The university offers a subsidized Metro Transit College Pass for students and a subsidized Metropass for employees. Student and employee bike commuters are able to access showers on campus. The university offers indoor, secure bicycle storage for students and has several bicycle air pump and repair stations on campus.
Neighborhood Relations weaves multi-modal language and enhancements into its various communications. These include the @USTNeighborhood Instagram and @USTOffCampus Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds, where a fall 2020 campaign sought to encourage safe use of Lime and Bird scooters; the St. Thomas housing listings, where available bus lines and bike paths are incorporated into listings that previously included only parking information; and expanding the previous “driving and parking” section of the twice-annual Student-Tenant Education Program (STEP) to include information about mass transit, walking and bicycling.
Off-Campus Student Life conducts an annual Metro Transit training each September for incoming first-year students. In 2020, because of COVID restrictions, we offered a Zoom version – piloted by Neighborhood Student Advisor Arielle Duerr ’21 and Kelly Morrell, commuter programs specialist at Metro Transit. That video was distributed as part of the Welcome Days programming.
Student workers in the Office of Sustainability Initiatives produced a guide for students with information about how to use the transit system. It addresses routes that serve campus, popular destinations accessible by transit, and different types of transit passes available.
The university also offers a shuttle bus between its Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses, which students and employees can ride for free.
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainable transportation is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Websites with additional information appear below.
Bike Information and Registration
https://www.stthomas.edu/publicsafety/prevention/bikeinformationregistration/
Commuting Information for Off-Campus Students
https://www.stthomas.edu/offcampus/commuting/
Websites with additional information appear below.
Bike Information and Registration
https://www.stthomas.edu/publicsafety/prevention/bikeinformationregistration/
Commuting Information for Off-Campus Students
https://www.stthomas.edu/offcampus/commuting/
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.