What We're Doing
Transportation
Commute Trip Reduction
"The daily movement of people back and forth to campus in automobiles burning fossil fuels is one of the largest impacts a typical educational institution imposes on the life support systems of the planet. In addition, the travel patterns that students learn while in college are likely to influence their future travel choices.”
Will Toor, Spenser W. Havlik, Transportation & Sustainable Campus Communities, 2004,Introduction, Page 1
Transportation is connected to the natural environment, food, the economy, access to goods and services. It is evident that our current system of automobile-dependent transportation choices is not sustainable.
Since 1995 WWU has supported alternatives to automobile commuting, by providing information, assistance and incentives encouraging students, faculty and staff to walk, bike, bus and carpool, in order to reduce pollution, traffic and parking congestion on and near the campus.
WWU Parking & Transportation Alternative Transportation Program (link to http://www.ps.wwu.edu/parking/index.aspx)
Washington State and Whatcom County Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) laws and programs provide WWU with added incentives and supporting programs for automobile trip reduction
WWU Commute Trip Reduction incentives and encouragement support sustainability by promoting forms of transportation that reduce environmental impact, are less energy dependent, more equitable and encourage physical activity. Moving ahead to set and reach WWU sustainable transportation goals will require enhanced programs and comprehensively planned action prompting participation from throughout the community.
Why should we be concerned about Sustainable Transportation?
- Global climate change
- Growing population/increased energy demands
- The rising costs of energy production
- Finite conventional energy resources
- Instability of foreign energy sources
- Air and water pollution, environmental degradation and destruction
- Worsening human health conditions
A sustainable transportation system for WWU includes:
- Walking
- Bicycling
- Public Transit (buses)
- Motor Vehicles
Sustainable Transportation Stories
Read four stories illustrating the possibilities of a sustainable transportation system at WWU. (Transportation stories 1-4)
What is the current transportation mode share among WWU Students and faculty, staff and administrators?
Transportation mode share among WWU students*
Mode Choice |
1992 |
1998 |
2003 |
Est. # of trips |
Single Occupant vehicle |
36% |
27% |
20% |
2,600 |
Walk |
38% |
34% |
36% |
4,680 |
Transit |
10% |
23% |
36% |
4,680 |
Carpool |
9% |
9% |
5% |
650 |
Bicycle** |
7% |
7% |
7% |
910 |
total |
13,520 |
* TPITF report, Campus Parking & Transportation Studies, transportation mode surveys
**Bike rack utilization study 2004-2006 indicates +/- 250 bicycle trips daily
Mode share among WWU employees* (Faculty, staff, administrators)
2500 Part-time, part-time, temporary and permanent
Mode Choice |
1997 |
2003 |
2005 |
Est. # of trips |
Single Occupant vehicle |
77% |
58% |
61% |
1,525 |
Walk |
7% |
7% |
175 |
|
Transit |
9% |
11% |
275 |
|
Carpool |
12% |
13% |
325 |
|
Bicycle |
5% |
4% |
100 |
|
Other |
9% |
4% |
100 |
|
total |
2500 |
*source, WWU WSDOT CTR report, 2005
WWU preliminary transportation goal:
Reduce the number of motor vehicle trips made to/from and on the WWU campus
Objectives:
- Increase walking trips (especially among the population living within 1 mile of WWU)
- Increase bicycling trips (especially among the population living within 4 miles of WWU)
- Shift driving trips to bus trips among population living 1 mile or more from WWU
- Reduce emissions from operations vehicles:
- Shifting to human-powered vehicles wherever possible
- Shifting to lower-impact motor vehicles
- Reducing trips through organizational means, including a flexible mix of extended education, electronic access and traditional mobility
WWU Draft Sustainable Transportation Visioning and Elements documents
Read and comment on the work of the Sustainable Transportation working group.