Sustainable Transportation and Grounds in UIC - University of ...

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Report to UIC 42 Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy Similar technologies may be attempted for the Shuttle Bus and Red Car service. We recommend: • Analysis of shuttle routing to maximize efficiency and service. • A system using GPS devices be used to track the locations of the UIC shuttle buses and red car services. • Information on arrival times may be disseminated via the internet, users’ PDAs, kiosks throughout campus and at Wi-Fi hotspots. 13. Parking pricing: Subsidized employer parking is said to be one of the major reasons why Travel Demand Management strategies continue to fail. We define “subsidized” as the practice of charging below the market rate for parking. There is a great difference between the Chicago market rate for parking and UIC rate for parking; the lower cost of parking at UIC is interference in the market and the result is lost revenue; the artificially low parking prices are a subsidy for parking which is not extended to other transit modes. The discrepancy between the subsidy allotted to parking and transit use should be eliminated; “level the playing field” so to speak, for parity between transportation modes and to allow market forces to function. The subcommittee understands that increasing parking fees may be politically difficult and inequitable in some cases. We recommend that: • Credits should be given to hybrid vehicle users, other alternative fuel vehicle users and carpool users. • Increasing parking pricing should be considered a longterm, gradually-initiated policy. • The campus may experiment with a variable parking scheme. For prepaid parking users, an income-based approach may be considered. For visitors, a time-of-day scheme may be utilized. • However, the above strategies are unlikely to lead to user acceptance unless many of the travel options recommended in this report are followed. • Revenues raised from increased parking price may be firewalled into a Transportation and Grounds Fund, to support a variety of activities that would initiate improved sustainability conditions. 42
Report to UIC 43 Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy • Evaluate Parking Operations for both scale and scope of practice and revenue sources, considering the opportunity to include and fund functions such as secure bike parking as well as the improved environmentally friendliness of parking lots and stormwater management techniques. 14. An Ozone Action Day is declared when weather conditions are likely to combine with pollution emissions to form high levels of ozone near the ground that may cause harmful health effects. People and businesses should take action to reduce emissions of ozone-causing pollutants. We recommend that UIC participate in an Ozone Action Day awareness campaign for summer 2009 by: • Posting an e-mail alert of an Ozone Action Day via UIC announcements and/or on UIC's home page (usually the EPA releases the announcement the day before). • Incorporating a web page that discusses Ozone Action Days and what readers can do to reduce ground-level ozone (e.g., taking transit, combine errands, etc.) • Participating in and announcing Partners for Clean Air events around the region (e.g., every year PCA has had a campaign to win a Prius hybrid in their "Green Pays on Green Days" program). • Spearheading a campus campaign to reduce groundlevel ozone. This could incorporate all the recommendations put forth in Sustainable Transportation and Grounds report, but focused within a summer timeframe (when Ozone Action Days typically occur). 15. Telecommuting and Compressed Work Week programs reduce traffic congestion and impact air quality while improving the productivity and morale of participating employees. These programs can also be harnessed to conserve space and reduce overhead costs. We recommend that UIC Human Resources adopt a telecommute/compressed work week/flextime program and assess the results: • Identify units or departments that can effectively and efficiently implement telecommuting or compressed work week programs. • Develop a policy that supports and encourages these strategies. 43
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