Overall Rating Platinum
Overall Score 85.74
Liaison Mike Wilson
Submission Date Dec. 13, 2023

STARS v2.2

University of Victoria
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Claire Irvine
Sustainability Coordinator
Campus Planning and Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:

The University of Victoria’s BikeHUB has replaced the bike share program previously known as SPOKES, which is a bike rental and loan program. BikeHUB is a unique bicycle upcycling program in which volunteers restore donated old bikes that are then available for loan to students, staff and faculty for as long as they are affiliated with UVic. Bicycles are also available for rent to campus guests as well as the UVic campus community on a first come, first serve basis. This program has been diverting waste in the form of old bicycles from landfills since 2003 and continues to promote a more sustainable and healthy form of transportation.


Does the institution participate in a car sharing program?:
Yes

A brief description of the car sharing program:

Evo Car Share Program:
Evo offers a car share program in Victoria and Vancouver.
Users can easily pick up a car nearby, use it for their desired duration, and drop it off anywhere within the Home Zone.
The pricing starts at $0.41 per minute, and the charges are based on actual usage time.
Gas, insurance, parking, and unlimited kilometres are included in the rental.
The car fleet consists of 100% hybrid vehicles, featuring convenient bike and ski racks.
UVic provides 9 reserved Evo spots in Lot 2, near the Bookstore and Campus Security, along with overflow parking in Lots 2, 3, and 7.
Registering with the promo code "EVOSTREET" grants free membership and 45 complimentary minutes, valid until March 31, 2022.

UVic Partnership Membership with Modo:
UVic has a partnership with Modo carshare service, expanding options in Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver.
As a member through UVic's carshare program, users gain access to all cars in Modo's fleet.
Being a Member-Owner with Modo Plus rates enables users to reserve vehicles using the 24-hour online booking system and conveniently return the car to the same location.
Two Evo cars are stationed in Lot 2, near Campus Security, while another is available at the Family Student Housing (FSH) complex.


Does the institution offer preferential parking or other incentives for fuel efficient vehicles?:
Yes

A brief description of the incentives for fuel efficient vehicles:

UVic provides ample preferential parking for those who drive ZEV's (Zero Emissions Vehicles) which is outlined in the following description.


Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
Yes

A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:

10 Locations for public use:
Four EV stations are beside the Campus Security Building in parking lot #2
Three EV stations are beside Michael Williams Building
One EV station is at University House One (UH1)
Two EV stations next to Fine Arts building in parking lot #6

Locations for UVic Facilities Management use only:
Two EV stations are located near the Saunders' Workshops in lot #11
One EV station is located next to the District Energy Plant in lot #6

Rates:
There is no additional charge to use the EV stations beyond the cost of parking. The EV stations have a 90-minute maximum. When using an EV station, make sure you have paid for general parking ($2.00 per hour).


Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
Yes

A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:

UVic offers to provide financial support to assist eligible new faculty, librarians, researchers and senior staff to relocate to Victoria. This funding is intended to assist with the applicant’s move and not necessarily to cover all expenses that might be incurred. https://www.uvic.ca/vpfo/financial-services/services/accounts-payable/relocation-assistance.php


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?:
Yes

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:

UVic is a bike-friendly campus and encourages commuters to cycle to campus by offering a multitude of amenities. These include:
•Over 4,000 bike parking spots made up of secure indoor bike parking, covered and sheltered bike parking, and uncovered bike parking.
•Nearly 150 bicycle lockers available to students, faculty and staff living off-campus.
•Showers and change rooms for end-of-trip convenience located in ten different buildings across campus.
•4 free designated electric bike charging stations located across campus

Public Transit:
All undergraduate and graduate UVic students are provided with the mandatory Universal Bus Pass (U-Pass). This gives them unlimited access to the regional transit system for each semester they attend UVic at a significantly reduced price included in their student fees. This program covers approximately 20,000 students, and since its introduction transit ridership has increased over 55%. In addition, UVic offers an Employee Bus Pass (E-Pass) to campus staff and faculty at a discounted price of 55% off of a regular monthly transit pass.
Staff: The Employee Bus Pass is a reduced-rate monthly or quarterly pass, that offers continuing University of Victoria employees the option of using transit rather than commuting by vehicle to the Gordon Head Campus and thus having to purchase a parking permit. The Employee Bus Pass is not transferable and is for the use of eligible employees only. The eligible employee must agree to purchase the transit pass for their personal use to commute to the University of Victoria Gordon Head Campus. Bus passes are sold in one-month and four-month allotments.

UVic provides a variety of different levels of parking passes available to staff and faculty members that encourage them to commute, at least part-time, using more sustainable modes of transportation. These include
•The Flex 25 parking permit which allows a driver to park 25 days on campus at a reduced rates to encourage integration of other modes of transportation, and discourage monthly pass purchases

Finally, UVic offers free video-conferencing services for staff, faculty and students to encourage the use of virtual meetings and interviews to reduce the amount of travel and associated greenhouse gases.

UVic continues to work with community transportation groups, such as participating on the regional transit authority committee to improve transit service to campus and surrounding neighbourhoods. UVic also works with the surrounding municipalities to improve cycling and pedestrian access routes to campus including dedicated bike lanes, sidewalks/crosswalks and transit stops.

Engagement and outreach activities include the involvement in and collaboration with committees and groups like the UVic Cycling Advisory Committee, Staff Sustainability Network, the Sustainability Advisory Committee, the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition, the District of Saanich Active Transportation Advisory Committee, and BC Transit, which offer support and integration of sustainable transportation options to and from campus.


Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainable transportation is available:
https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/topics/transportation/index.php

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.