| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.36 |
| Liaison | Marianella Franklin |
| Submission Date | Jan. 10, 2023 |
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.40 / 1.00 |
Rodney
Gomez Director Parking and Transportation |
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 City of Edinburg is part of BikeShare Rio Grande Valley, a bike sharing program in use at UTRGV’s Brownsville, Harlingen and Edinburg campuses and in the cities of Brownsville and Harlingen that provides an inexpensive, convenient and healthier travel alternative to an automobile. BikeShare, a program initiated by UTRGV students as a class project, is available to the public and is managed by Zagster, Inc., a national company that manages bike share services. Zagster supplies the stations and bikes, as well as maintenance and technical assistance.
Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
A brief description of the car sharing program:
Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:
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:
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:
As a multi-site campus, UTRGV provides sustainable transportation options to commuting students/faculty/staff. Parking & Transportation Services operates bus service on the Brownsville and Edinburg campuses through the Vaquero Express public transportation system. In addition, Vaquero Express routes connect those campuses with Harlingen and Weslaco, and serve the Visual Arts Building in Edinburg, the McAllen Teaching Site, and Rio Grande City (via Valley Metro's Green Line at STC). All routes operated by the University are FREE to use and open to the general public.
Parking & Transportation Services has partnered with other transit providers to provide additional connectivity throughout the Valley for faculty, staff, and students such as the Valley Metro. The Valley Metro operates routes throughout the entire Valley, including rural and urban areas, as well as Metro Express, which connects the Brownsville, Harlingen, and McAllen public transit terminals to the UTRGV Edinburg and Brownsville campuses. Students, faculty, and staff may ride on any Valley Metro route at no charge by showing their validated UTRGV ID Card upon boarding. For more information, visit their website at www.lrgvdc.org/valleymetro.
VOLT is a public micro mobility program specifically designed for efficiency and effectiveness. It is composed of a fleet of 23 electric street-legal vehicles equipped with safety and security cameras, unlimited high-speed data streams, and GPS vehicle trackers via Ride Systems. Ride Systems is an intelligent transit solution (ITS) that allows users to view real-time vehicle location, direction of travel, and estimated time of arrival at the push of a button. VOLT was designed as a fast, zero-emissions solution to serve the intercampus mobility needs of the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses. VOLT is made possible through a partnership with regional public transit provider Valley Metro.
Additionally, the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses include a series of route alignments called “circuits”. These circuits provide service in and around both campuses. VOLT also offers the convenience of call stops. Call stops are built to provide service outside the circuit alignments by calling our office ahead of time and making that reservation. Reservations are needed to track all deviations and ensure the VOLT service is functioning at full capacity at any given time. All call stops are indicated on the map via the call stop icon.
All VOLT vehicles are Department of Transportation (DOT) approved and come equipped with many features found in passenger vehicles such as seatbelts and turn signals. As such, all VOLT vehicles are subject to all traffic laws and treated identically as passenger vehicles while in operation. The VOLT service will provide frequencies as low as every 10 minutes with multiple vehicles per circuit making it the most efficient and effective transit option in South Texas.
https://www.utrgv.edu/parking-and-transportation-services/transportation-services/index.htm
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:
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.