| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.18 |
| Liaison | Michelle Patterson |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Washington University in St. Louis
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Clara
Steyer Sustainability Coordinator Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Support for Cyclists and Pedestrians
No
None
A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:
Although the university does not currently have all of these bicycling accommodations within a single building, the Washington University Mobility Plan is being implemented and includes pedestrian/bicyclist segregated paths on the campus, bicycle parking nodes, shower facilities, and other features throughout the campus.
Also, a Bike Hub is in the process of being planned and built as part of the East End Transformation project. The Hub would include showers, lockers, a bike parts vending machine, and more amenities for bike commuters.
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 academic and residential buildings on campus are equipped with bike racks that are easily accessible and strategically located. A significant amount of these bike parkings are covered allowing a better preservation of the bikes' conditions.
As for long term storage, Bears Bikes, WashU’s student-owned bike shop, offers bike storage options for winter and summer break (http://bearsbikes.com/storage/).
In addition, the School of Medicine provides secured bike parking only accessible by card access. These covered and access controlled bike racks are located underneath the CSRB South Tower, on the south side of BJC Institute of Health and on the south side of Olin Residence Hall.
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:
WashU aspires to design roadways that are safe and accessible to all users, regardless of age, ability, and mode of transportation. As part of the Mobility Plan, the Mobility Framework is a long-term planning document that guides WashU’s efforts to strategically and incrementally improve its mobility infrastructure. A set of new Legibility Guidelines was published alongside the Framework, providing a consistent standard for the design of all future mobility infrastructure, including path markings, signage, and materials. The Mobility Plan has not only created a precedent for planning at WashU but has extended to influence the surrounding municipalities, as the Legibility Guidelines are being followed for projects connecting WashU’s campuses to bordering neighborhoods.
Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
No
A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
The University has been part of a Bike Share Working Group, discussing plans for a regional program. As a result, the City of St. Louis has passed an ordinance in February 2018 legalizing the permit process that will allow bike share companies to operate in the city. Companies submit their fees along with a checklist outlining their compliance with the permit requirements, and then will be granted a permit to operate in the City. The University is involved in the permit reviewing process and is planning to partner with each bike share operator to ensure a consideration of specific guidelines that would apply on campus areas. The City is expecting an official launch of the program in April of this year.
For more information about the permit requirements, visit: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/street/streets-sidewalks-traffic/permits-inspections/bike-share-permit.cfm
Mass Transit Programs
Yes
A brief description of the mass transit programs:
Washington University in St. Louis and Metro, the regional agency that provides public transportation services, work together on an agreement in which the university pays Metro for the U-Pass program. The U-Pass program provides free Metro passes to full-time students, benefits-eligible faculty and staff, and full-time employees of qualified service providers who perform daily tasks. The U-Pass applies to both Metro buses, the MetroLink light-rail system and Call-A-Ride Paratransit service. In 2017, over 70% of WashU members requested and received a free "UPass".
WashU campuses benefit from numerous accesses to the public transit network: 3 MetroLink train stations directly adjacent to campus and 3 bus lines designed specifically for our various campuses and community (#1 Gold, #2 Red, Green Line).
The university also has a campus Circulator, which provides shuttle services from MetroLink train stations at the perimeter of the Danforth Campus to various locations around the Danforth Campus and the South 40. The Circulator is free for all university members.
Guaranteed Return Trip Program
Yes
A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:
To support the use of transportation methods other than driving to campus every day, Washington University is a participating employer in the Citizens for Modern Transit Guaranteed Ride Home program. The program serves individuals who normally utilize public transportation, walk, or ride a bicycle to work/school. In case of unscheduled overtime or a health-related or personal emergency, commuters can receive immediate transportation from their workplace to their home or an emergency-related location.
For more information, please visit: https://parking.wustl.edu/items/guaranteed-ride-home/
Carpool/Vanpool Programs
Yes
A brief description of the carpool/vanpool program:
By joining the Bearly Drivers program, carpoolers benefit from reduced permit costs (the more people in the carpool, the lower the cost), one free daily permit per month for non-primary drivers, designated parking spaces that are available only to Bearly Drivers members, and more.
All registered Bearly Drivers program members are automatically registered for the RideFinders Guaranteed Ride Home program. This program provides reimbursement for a taxi ride home if members or immediate family members become sick or if members have unexpected, unscheduled overtime with no advance warning.
For more information, please visit: https://parking.wustl.edu/items/bearly-driver-carpool/
Car Sharing Program
Yes
None
A brief description of the car sharing program:
The university partners with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to provide a car sharing program service to the campus community. Students, faculty, and staff over the age of 18 can rent vehicles at an hourly rate from a number of convenient locations on campus. The vehicles are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can be reserved online within minutes of need.
For more information, please visit: https://parking.wustl.edu/items/enterprise-carshare/
EV Recharging Stations
Yes
None
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
The university has two level 2 charging stations that can accommodate up to four vehicles on the main campus. On the Medical School campus, the University has one level 2 charging station that can accommodate one electric vehicle.
The East End Transformation project includes several additional charging stations for electric vehicles, that should be operational in the next couple of years.
Telecommuting and Condensed Work Week Programs
Yes
None
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
While in general the University believes that patients, students and constituents can best be served when employees are physically at work, it also recognizes that flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting can be an important part of meeting departmental and university needs. Any such formal arrangement must be defined in writing prior to the start of the assignment and signed by the employee and the department.
For more information, please visit: https://hr.wustl.edu/items/telecommuting/
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:
The university offers a four-day, forty hour work week option for specific academic departments.
Other Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Commuting
Yes
None
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
Forgivable loans are offered to eligible employees seeking housing in select neighborhoods close to the university's campuses. Qualified employees who purchase a home as a primary residence in one of the eligible neighborhoods will receive the lesser of five percent of the home’s purchase price or $8,500, to be used to pay either part of the down payment or the closing cost on a home purchase. The loan is forgiven if the employee remains in the home for five years.
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:
The Occasional Parking Program is intended to support commuters who don’t have an annual permit and use alternative transportation, like riding public transit, biking, and/or walking, as their primary commute mode by providing a low-cost option for the occasional times they’re unable to use alternative transportation. The program offers up to 48 discounted daily permits per year to faculty, staff, qualified service provider employees, and commuter students who utilize alternate forms of transportation for daily commuting.
For more information, please visit: https://parking.wustl.edu/items/occasional-parking-program/
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.