Other Considerations
Other Considerations
There are many other areas of the campus system that can be refined to demonstrate serious institutional commitment to sustainable transportation.
Travel
Admissions, departmental, and administrative trips can all be more sustainable. Some ways to green travel: hybrid rental cars, flying vs. driving vs. trains vs. buses, and holding school related functions in bus-friendly city centers.
Local Business Support
By supporting businesses that establish stores within walking distance a campus can show their students that it is possible and desirable to live without a car.
Food Transportation
The number of miles an item has to travel to get to a university is an often overlooked source of pollution. It has been estimated that food travels an average of 1,300 miles from farm to table. Many universities can buy foods directly from local farmers in an effort to both support the local community, and to reduce the greenhouse emissions from food transportation. For more information on this subject visit: http://www.foodroutes.org/farmtocollege.jsp.
Salary Packaging
Some universities have a transportation budget for staff which can be used to subsidize the use of alternative transportation.
Anti-Commuting (Live Where You Work!)
Many organizations are finding it useful to encourage community members to live near campus to eliminate long commutes or commuting altogether. This can be accomplished by providing staff housing near the university, or real-estate assistance for new members of the community.
| Case Study: Stanford University |
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| Stanford University has instituted the Clean Air Cash program which provides up to $200 per year for anyone working at the university who participates in the Commute Club to promote alternative transportation. For more information check out their website at: http://transportation.stanford.edu/alt_transportation/CleanAirCash.shtml. |
