Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.76
Liaison Mark Klapatch-Mathias
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-River Falls
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.80 / 2.00 Mark Klapatch
Sustainability and Custodial Supervisor
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Support for Cyclists and Pedestrians 

Does the institution provide secure bicycle storage (not including office space), shower facilities, and lockers for bicycle commuters?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:
Showers, lockers, and secure under-roof bike storage is available at the Regional Development Institute building.

Does the institution provide short-term bicycle parking for all occupied buildings and makes long-term bicycle storage available for students who live on-site (if applicable)?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:
All buildings have short-term bicycle parking racks within 50ft. Secure bike storage for short or long term use is also offered near some residence halls. In total, 90 bike lockers are available for rent on campus on a first-come/first-served basis. Here are the locations of the bike lockers: 20 by west end of Prucha 20 on south side of Hathorn 10 by Grimm 10 by McMillan 4 by Parker 6 by Crabtree 10 by Ames 10 by SFS

Does the institution have a bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy (or adhere to a local community plan/policy) that sets standards and practices for campus streets to enable safe access for all users?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy:
The campus supports the community's program, the RF Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, first adopted in 1995. http://www.rfcity.org/DocumentCenter/View/649

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:
A bicycle rental program is run and funded through Kinni Outdoor Adventures, effective summer 2013. The rentals are free to students, with nominal rental fees for faculty, staff, and community members. Also during 2015, the university collaborated with the city of River Falls to establish another bike share program called the blue bike program. With all of the planning, coordinating, and collaborating occurring in 2015, the blue bike program launched spring 2016 and continued in 2017.

Mass Transit Programs 

Does the institution offer free or reduced price transit passes and/or operate a free campus shuttle for commuters?:
No

A brief description of the mass transit programs:
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Guaranteed Return Trip Program 

Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
No

A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:
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Carpool/Vanpool Programs 

Does the institution participate in a car/vanpool or ride sharing program and/or offer reduced parking fees or preferential parking for car/vanpoolers?:
No

A brief description of the carpool/vanpool program:
A car/vanpool rider board was installed in the University Center in 2012. There is also an active "UWRF Carpooling" Facebook page which many students use to coordinate rides to and from UWRF.

Car Sharing Program 

Does the institution participate in a car sharing program, such as a commercial car-sharing program, one administered by the institution, or one administered by a regional organization?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the car sharing program:
Since October 2012, Students, employees, and community members can purchase an annual membership to Car Share, which gives them hourly, daily, or overnight access to two energy efficient vehicles located on campus near the campus fleet. Fuel and insurance are included in the hourly rates. https://www.enterprisecarshare.com/us/en/programs/university/uwriverfalls.html

EV Recharging Stations 

Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
No

None
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
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Telecommuting and Condensed Work Week Programs 

Does the institution offer a telecommuting program for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
UW-River Falls recognizes the value and benefit of telecommuting and teleworking in appropriate work environments. Telecommuting is flexible, voluntary work options that allows employees to work from home on a regular basis as agreed upon in writing between the individual and UWRF for a specified period of time. UWRF believes extending the work place is a viable alternative work arrangement in certain instances. This voluntary telecommuting program is intended to be an innovative work option that benefits the University as well as the employee. Telecommuting is a cooperative arrangement between the employee and the employer. It is not a basic right of all employees. A telecommuting arrangement is based on the needs of the University and on the employee’s past and present levels of performance. Telecommuting is defined as a work arrangement in which employees do not commute to their assigned place of work, but, instead, work from home.

Does the institution offer a condensed work week option that reduces employee commuting (as a matter of policy or standard practice)?:
Yes

A brief description of the condensed work week option:
UWRF offers a condensed work week for some employees.

Other Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Commuting 

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

None
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
We Bike River Falls promotes bicycle friendly transportation and recreation options through education and awareness programs for a safe, healthy, and sustainable community. We Bike River Falls is a collaborative project through the UWRF Office of Student Life, Office of Sustainability, and engages a broad group of university faculty and staff, students, River Falls citizens, city officials, and others.

Does the institution employ other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting (e.g. preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, cash-out of parking programs)?:
Yes

A brief description of other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting:
Bicycle Rental is offered through the Recreation Department's Kinni Outdoor Adventures Rental Center, which also provides bicycle tune-ups. "Get on the Bus" is hosted by Student Life and is a great opportunity to visit fun places in the Twin Cities. Each Get on the Bus experience focuses on a different location, event, or activity. Most of these opportunities are free or very inexpensive. Popular trips include: Mall of America, Como Zoo, Midtown Global Market, Minnesota Twins baseball game, Minnesota Swarm lacrosse game, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. "Twin Cities Shuttle" The Twin Cities Shuttle is an inexpensive opportunity for students to explore the Twin Cities. The shuttle picks students up outside the University Center building and drops them off at the Mall of America at either 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. From the Mall of America students can explore different areas of the Twin Cities using the Metro Transit system. Shuttle tickets are only $10! River Falls Taxi: Round-trip taxi service is provided at no charge with the presentation of a valid UW-River Falls student I.D. to: River Falls Medical Clinic, Pierce County Reproductive Health Services, Saint Croix Valley Sexual Assault Response Team Center. Trips within River Falls are subsidized and cost $2.75 per person. Airport Shuttle for international students: The airport shuttle is available to only international students to ensure they have travel to and from the airport at the end of each semester. International Student Services will do all the arrangements for those students who need to be taken to the MSP International Airport. Additionally, the University Center offers the following amenities/services to assist commuter students: -Free lockers for daily storage - bring your own padlock -Microwave -Water Bottle Filling Stations -TV Lounge Area -Game Room/Study Areas -Vending machines located near the North Entrance -Bulletin boards for posting by the C-Store -Ride-share board by the C-Store -TV and couches outside of C-Store -Coffee Shop w/televisions -Falcon Shop for UWRF apparel and classroom accessories -First National Bank for convenient on-campus banking -General Access computer lab with PaperCut enabled printer -Game room with couches and console gaming systems -Tables for studying

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.uwrf.edu/Transportation/

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The campus also provides a shuttle for MBA students who lack transportation to the Hudson Center.

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.