Sustainability - Transportation
10102. Transportation
Summary:
Transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants that contribute to health problems such as heart and respiratory diseases and cancer. Due to disproportionate exposure, these health impacts are frequently more pronounced in low-income communities next to major transportation corridors. In addition, the extraction, production, and global distribution of fuels for transportation can damage environmentally and/or culturally significant ecosystems and may financially benefit hostile and/or oppressive governments.
At the same time, campuses can reap benefits from modeling sustainable transportation systems. Bicycling and walking provide human health benefits and mitigate the need for large areas of paved surface, which can help campuses to better manage storm water. Institutions may realize cost savings and help support local economies by reducing their dependency on petroleum-based fuels for transportation.
Steps Taken
- Supporting alternative power and fuel.
- Providing a free shuttle service for students, faculty and staff to get around campus.
- Providing an opportunity to car pool and ride share.
- A chance to rent cars on campus for a nominal price.
- Bike rentals and a bike shop for the convenience of the students and employees.
Program Description
Fuel and Power Technology
Institution supports alternative fuel and power technology by including in its motorized vehicle fleet (cars, trucks, tractors, buses) vehicles that are:
1. Gasoline-electric hybrid
2. Diesel-electric hybrid
3. Plug-in hybrid
4. 100 percent electric
5. Hydrogen fueled
6. Fueled with B20 or higher biofuel for more than 6 months of the year; and/or
7. Fueled with E85 or higher ethanol for more than 6 months of the year.
Institution's students and employees commute to and from campus by a means other than single occupancy vehicle for the majority of their daily commute trips. Alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle transportation include living on campus, walking, bicycling, van or carpooling, taking public transportation, or riding a campus shuttle.
Maverick Ride
This service assists students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors to reach their destinations after our regular shuttle hours. The hours of service are 7:00 p.m. till 1:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and an escort can be requested by over the phone.
The Mav Mover operates every Saturday (except holiday weekends) to take the UT Arlington students for shopping in the Arlington area.
Parking
Demand for parking on the UT Arlington campus is at an all-time high. With more than 28,000 students enrolled in the fall 2009 semester, the University had sold 1,600 more parking decals by early September as it had at the same point last year. Popular student lots can become congested during peak class times and circling parking lots, idling, and parking multiple times during one day not only waste time and gas but negatively impacted air quality.
UTA offered discounted price for decals for the remote parking. Remote decals are less than half the price. Student permits allowing access to all student lots are $112.50 for the fall and spring semesters.
Ride Sharing and Carpool
The Dallas-Fort Worth region is the fourth largest metropolitan region in the nation with almost 6.5 million residents. Rapid population growth in the past decade has led to increasing transportation problems here in the region. The construction of additional roadway lanes has not kept pace with this population growth. As a result, traffic congestion has become a major concern for regional travelers; and with increased traffic congestion came air quality concerns.
One way for commuters to help improve traffic congestion and air quality in the region is to reduce the number of vehicles that travel on our roadways by using alternatives to driving alone to work. Alternative commute options include carpooling, vanpooling, transit, walking, telecommuting, etc. Try Parking It is a two-part solution for reducing the number of vehicles on the road and for tracking the savings that result from those vehicle reductions. By using Try Parking It, we can locate carpool or vanpool matches within the North Central Texas region. UTA can also track the contributions by the employees and staff and students to clean air and congestion reduction and receive an estimate of miles saved, trips reduced and harmful emissions reduced.
Renting a Car on Campus
Starting fall 2010, the UT Arlington community is able to rent an environmentally friendly car by the hour or day, all for a low price through the Connect by Hertz program. Connect cars are available by the hour or day, and the low rate includes gas; insurance, including coverage for the Connect car; GPS navigation; an iPod adaptor; Bluetooth technology; 24-hour roadside assistance; support of a 24-hour in-house member care center; and in-car communication, allowing drivers to reach the member care center with the touch of a button.
Maverick Bike Program
The Maverick Bike Program maintains and encourages the popular and beneficial use of the bicycle as an important mode of transportation to, from, and on campus by providing the campus community with a safe, secure, and efficient cycling environment.
The bike program offered by the Office of Sustainability will raffle the bikes to students at the beginning of every semester. Students will return the bikes during the last week of classes. The bikes have to be taken to the bike shop twice every month for repair. The program also provides helmets, locks and lights along with the raffled bikes. The bikes are registered with the UT Police. With the increasing demand for this program, the bike shop has also started renting bikes on hourly, daily and weekly basis.
The Maverick Bike shop is located at Cooper Chase Apt #109. The shop is open and accessible to UT Arlington students, faculty, and staff to bring their bikes for repair and maintenance.