Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.76
Liaison Eric Meliton
Submission Date Jan. 16, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Wilfrid Laurier University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Rosemary Brockett
Sustainability Assistant
Physical Resources
"---" 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:
In partnership with Parking and Transportation Resources, we are pleased to offer a number of resources for cycling commuters on campus. There are a number of bike racks located around campus (Laurier’s size makes it easy for you to check up on your bike). As a safety precaution, make sure you lock it with a high-grade U-Lock or equal alternative. To support cycling at Laurier we offer the following services: Secured Bike Parking and Showers: Laurier has secured bike parking for staff on Waterloo and Brantford campuses: Waterloo campus: Lazaridis Hall has an indoor facility with showers secured with fob access. Cost is $15 per term. Waterloo campus: MacDonald House (south side) has a gated facility with fob access. Cost is $15 per term. Brantford campus: Expositor Place parking garage secured bike storage using a fob system. Cost is $8 per term. Brantford Campus: MDC has newly installed indoor bike racks available for staff use. Fixit Station: Laurier’s Fixit station is located outside the back entrance to Lazaridis Hall. It includes a bike rack, basic tools, and a pump to help keep your bike tuned up and fix minor repairs.

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:
In June 2012, through a partnership with Facilities and Asset Management and the Sustainability Office, Parking and Transportation introduced a secure bike storage facility located on the south side of MacDonald House (beside lot 16) for up to 25 bikes. This is a gated facility allowing users entry using a key fob system. Similar to Laurier parking permits, a fob may be purchased on per-term basis with prices being pro-rated as needed. A $10 deposit is also required but this is refunded upon return of the key fob in working physical condition. Through a partnership with the Sustainability Office and Residence Life, Service Laurier Brantford introduced a secure bike storage facility located in the Expositor Place parking garage. This is a gated facility allowing users entry using a key fob system. Similar to Laurier parking permits, a fob may be purchased on a per-term basis. A $10 deposit is also required, which is refunded upon return of the key fob in working physical condition. In total, we have about 109 bike stations available at Laurier. Lazaridis Hall has --- spaces provided to support bicycling by faculty and students.

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:
Laurier follows the provincial AODA built environment standards. See O. Reg. 191/11 Part IV.1: Design of Public Spaces Standards ---> Exterior paths of travel.

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:
Bikeshare Program: Our on-campus bikeshare is part of the Community Access Bikeshare (CAB) program and our station is located on University Avenue and the key box is located inside at Laurier’s Theatre Auditorium. There are eight bikes available, which can be accessed only with an annual CAB membership ($65/year) from May to November. Members must swipe their membership card at the key box and input a PIN to unlock a bike. Bikes can be returned to any station with available spots. Note, the program ended in 2017 and Laurier is transitioning to a new bikeshare program with DropBike starting 2018/2019.

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:
TRAVELWISE​ Laurier is a proud member of the Region of Waterloo's TravelWise program. As such, all Laurier employees are able to access the benefits and services this membership provides, including: Discounted GRT Bus Pass: Employees of TravelWise member organizations can purchase discounted three-, six-, nine- or 12-month transit passes. Discounts range from 5% to 15% and can be purchased online at the Grand River Transit Corporate Pass eStore​. Passes will be couriered to the Parking and Transportation Resources office by the 28th of each month. Passes will then be sent via inter-office mail to their recipients. Participants in the corporate bus pass program are also eligible to claim the federal transit credit on their income tax.

Guaranteed Return Trip Program 

Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:
Emergency Ride Home: Employees who commute sustainably have access to an Emergency Ride Home program to reimburse travel costs if they get stuck at work. This means that if you've taken alternative transportation to work and have an unforeseen emergency, you can request a reimbursement of up to $75 (inclusive of all applicable taxes) for your emergency transportation costs (e.g., taxi). To see terms and conditions or submit a claim, download the Emergency Ride Home form.

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:
Online Carpool Tool: Using the online TravelWise carpool tool, commuters can search for carpool partner who's daily commute matches your own, and then connect with them online to see if it's a good fit before they decide to carpool. Commuters can also log commuting trips to see their environmental impact and cost savings, and win prizes through regular competitions and challenges.

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:
Laurier has a VrtuCar (formerly Community CarShare) vehicle located directly on campus (near Alumni Field), which uses an 24 hour online registration system. There are also a number of vehicles located nearby campus as well. VrtuCar provides its members access to vehicles on a self-serve, pay-per-use basis. It's mission is to deliver a carsharing service and to promote carsharing as an important component of a sustainable transportation system within the Region of Waterloo. The goal of the program is to reduce overall transportation costs, traffic congestion and air pollution, thus improving our communities. Reservations for vehicles can be made for as little as 30 minutes, or as long as needed, and gas and maintenance costs are included in driving rates. By filling in transportation gaps with occasional car use, VrtuCar also helps support the use of greener transportation modes such as transit and cycling.

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:
ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) CHARGING STATION Laurier has EV charging stations locations at two of it's campuses. One set of charging stations is located in the parking area at Lazaridis Hall. The EV station hosts four vehicles with two level two chargers. The station is powered by solar photovoltaics (PVs), which amount to 12 kw/h of power and will be connected to the university's growing smart grid through our energy management system and future microgrid. Three additional Level 2 EV charging stations were installed on our Brantford campus mid-2018.

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:
Waterloo Campus: The main campus offers a number of telecommuting options including conference phones, a conference bridge, a Skype connection and a video conferencing room. Brantford Campus: The Read Lounge (conference room) of the Carnegie Building has telecommuting capabilities. This has been used to reduce commuting between the three campuses as well as for meetings and classes. The telecommuting equipment requires set up and take down from the IT department.

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 recognizes the importance of helping employees balance their work and family responsibilities. Therefore, the faculty full-time collective agreement and the staff collective agreement offer condensed work week options. Library staff may work flexible hours within the average of a 35 hour work week. All staff are able to make compressed work week arrangements, given approval from their managers. In a compressed work week, staff can complete their weekly working hours in a period of other than five working days provided that they work their normally scheduled hours in a pay period.

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:
Bike Month In June, Laurier runs a series of program for bike month to encourage staff and faculty to bike to campus. In 2018, the events included four Out to Lunch Bike rides, a Travel Wise Bike to Work Breakfast, and a bike maintenance workshop.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://students.wlu.ca/student-life/sustainability/index.html

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.