Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.86
Liaison Isabel Savransky
Submission Date June 19, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Ontario Tech University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" 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:
Bike racks are located across campus. Shower facilities are in the campus recreation and wellness center. Lockers are locally throughout campus SIRC: has a bike shelter

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:
Each building has a bike rack. Bikes can be stored inside the residence buildings, in the basements, for students who wish.

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:
The institution does not have a specific bicycle and pedestrian plan however we work with Durham Region and the City of Oshawa on their Integrated Transportation Master Plan- specifically looking at community safety zones and cycling lanes.

Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
No

A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
The institution is currently looking into possibilities

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:
A bus pass is included in tuition for all full time students. This is offered at a discounted price. Bus's are easily accessible and come onto campus.

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:
Because the institution is a participating Smart Commute workplace, employees are eligible for Emergency Ride Home (ERH) reimbursement. If they have an unforeseen emergency on any day they use a sustainable method to commute to work, they can request reimbursement of up to $75 for their emergency transportation costs. They must retain all emergency transportation receipt(s)

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:
There is a carpooling program where there is preferential parking in the lots; participants only pay for one parking pass to be shared with registered vehicles. Blancride, a carpooling app was launched by a group led by DR Hamid Akbari. This safely connects riders and drivers to share a ride.https://news.uoit.ca/archives/2016/01/uoit-created-carpooling-app-takes-major-step-forward.php

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:
There is a student care share program in Oshawa. http://www.studentcarshare.ca/

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:
The institution has one Level 3 EV charging station at the Automotive Center of Excellence and 11 Level 2 ports across campus (Alger Building, Office of Infrastructure and Sustainability house and at the Software Informatics Research Centre). Data from the 11 ports on campus estimates that we have eliminated 8,238kg og GHG emissions (equivalent to planting 211 trees that have grown for 10 years) (Stats from Chargepoint Dashboard, May 14, 2019). There are also two level 2 charging stations located in the shared parking lot of Ontario Tech and Durham College; Ontario Tech employees/students can also use this charging station.

Telecommuting and Condensed Work Week Programs 

Does the institution offer a telecommuting program for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
No

None
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
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Does the institution offer a condensed work week option that reduces employee commuting (as a matter of policy or standard practice)?:
No

A brief description of the condensed work week option:
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Other Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Commuting 

Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
The campus continuously encourages employees to consider their overall carbon footprint, with transportation being a key component. Through various initiatives and awareness booths, we highlight the benefits of living close to campus as there are various bus routes in the area, employees can save money on parking passes, and possibly eliminate the use of a vehicle all together. These activities are bundled under the Smart Commute Program.

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:
Promotion of various transportation related initiatives/events: bike to work day, Bike month, carpooling week, encourage participants to track their alternative modes of transit for prizes with Smart Commute Durham.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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.