Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 54.15
Liaison Leslie North
Submission Date March 3, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Western Kentucky University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" 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 for bicycle commuters exist in several campus buildings, including the WKU Preston Health and Activities Center and 3 LEED certified buildings. http://www.wku.edu/transportation/biking.php

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:
WKU main campus offers more than 600 bicycle racks, including all residence halls and academic buildings. Rack map is available on the WKU P&T webpage. http://www.wku.edu/transportation/biking.php

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:
A multi-use Greenways trail goes through the main campus, connecting to downtown on one end, and south campus on the other. Bicycle lanes are included on main streets around campus. Route map is available on the P&T webpage. http://www.wku.edu/transportation/biking.php

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:
Big Red Bikes, sponsored in collaboration between Parking and Transportation Services and the Office of Sustainability, lends gently-used refurbished bikes to any student, faculty or staff for 2-week durations. http://www.wku.edu/sustainability/brb/index.php

Mass Transit Programs 

Does the institution offer free or reduced price transit passes and/or operate a free campus shuttle for commuters?:
Yes

A brief description of the mass transit programs:
WKU Parking and Transportation Services offers 75% reduced mass transit passes to faculty, students, and staff. WKU Topper Transit has a fleet of 11 buses providing on and off campus transportation services for Western Kentucky University. On-campus service is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors. The three fixed routes (White Line, Red Line, Blue Line) move passengers from point to point around campus. Off-campus service (Shopping Shuttle/Green Line) is used to transport passenger to and from area shopping/recreation/housing centers. Para-transit service is provided for disabled passengers and requires an ADA boarding pass, which is available at the PTS office at no charge. Shuttle services are also available for special university events.

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:
WKU partners with the Enterprise Share-a-Car program, an automated way to rent a vehicle by the hour, the day, or overnight. A variety of makes and models are parked in your community – where you live, and where you work – and are accessible 24/7 by students, faculty, and staff. WKU P&T has also partnered with Bowling Green Shuttle to provide transportation to and from the Nashville International Airport.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the carpool/vanpool program:
WKU has partnered with AlterNetRides to provide free ride matching services to students, faculty, and staff. Users can arrange single trips, such as a ride home for the weekend, or repeating trips, like commuting to work or school. Students, faculty, and staff can visit WKU's Parking and Transportation AlterNetRides page to find a carpool, and their "Car Free" page to find carpool ettiquette, carpooling safety tips and carpooling general tips. http://www.wku.edu/transportation/car_free/carpooling.php

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:
WKU P&T offers Enterprise car sharing program, with 2 vehicles stationed on main campus for students, faculty, and staff. http://www.enterprisecarshare.com/car-sharing/program/wku

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?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
Presently one electric vehicle recharging station exists on campus.

Telecommuting and Condensed Work Week Programs 

Does the institution offer a telecommuting program for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
No

None
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
Recognizing the increasing demands and necessary balancing between employees' personal lives and the workplace, alternative work arrangements may assist a unit/department in recruiting and retaining of employees and in maximizing employee potential. Employees may benefit from alternative arrangements through more concentrated time off, a decrease in the number of commute days and by working a schedule that allows for increased productivity because of work flow changes. At WKU, a flex-time or flex-place work arrangement can be made when there is a mutual agreement between a supervisor and employee that some component(s) of an employee's work may be performed at home or some location other than the traditional work setting. This arrangement, which may be utilized by exempt and non-exempt employees, is most appropriate for work that has clearly defined tasks and measurable accomplishments. Details of flex-place working arrangements must be documented in writing and must remain within the guidelines predisposed in the WKU Alternative Work Arrangements policy. http://www.wku.edu/policies/docs/115.pdf

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:
Recognizing the increasing demands and necessary balancing between employees' personal lives and the workplace, alternative work arrangements may assist a unit/department in recruiting and retaining of employees and in maximizing employee potential. Employees may benefit from alternative arrangements through more concentrated time off, a decrease in the number of commute days and by working a schedule that allows for increased productivity because of work flow changes. In seeking to make workplace expectations and employee needs as compatible as possible, supervisors/department heads are permitted to consider and approve alternative work arrangements when requested by employees and when unit/departmental needs can accommodate such. Supervisors/department heads are accountable for ensuring continued efficient operations. A compressed workweek refers to a workweek (totaling 37.5 hours) that is condensed into fewer than five (5) days. Under this arrangement, employees may work longer days for part of a given week in exchange for shorter days or days off during the remainder of the week. http://www.wku.edu/policies/docs/115.pdf

Other Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Commuting 

Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
No

None
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
---

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:
WKU Transportation Services is committed to providing safe, courteous, and efficient transportation for students, faculty, staff, and the general public to the WKU campus. A variety of transit services are provided for the WKU community. Service is FREE to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Two fixed day service routes (White Line and Red Line) move passengers from point to point around campus. Two off-campus routes (Green Line and Purple Line) are used to transport passengers to and from area shopping, recreation, and housing centers. Para-transit service is provided for disabled passengers and requires an ADA boarding pass, which is available at the PTS office at no charge. All Topper Transit buses are wheelchair lift equipped. On weekdays, more than 5000 passengers utilize this service each day. In 2014 shuttle use increased by 22%.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.wku.edu/transportation/transit/index.php

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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