Blueprint for a Green Campus (2003 Update)

Growing Without Increasing Traffic

The Vision

CU caps traffic at 2000 levels by growing in such a way that there is no net increase in single occupant vehicle trips by students, faculty and staff.

While this is the vision statement of the Blueprint, which has been endorsed by both the University of Colorado Student Union and the Boulder Faculty Assembly, it has not been formally adopted by the campus. The Blueprint Committee has discussed a modified goal such as, "CU will increase the percentage of trips taken in modes other than single occupant vehicles." The development of a Transportation Master Plan, which is discussed below, may allow this goal to be refined.

Progress during 2002-2003

Progress in campus-related transportation issues since the spring 2002 report includes several significant steps. The largest and most visible change was the August, 2002 start-up of the STAMPEDE bus route operating between Broadway and Foothills Parkway along Colorado Avenue with loops on the Main Campus and the East Campus/Research Park. In addition, we have seen:

The start of a year-long, first-ever, campus-wide master planning process for parking and transportation,
The 227 bus route to Louisville and Lafayette upgraded to the high-frequency DASH service,
A major upgrade to the bike parking east of the Ketchum Building;
The establishment of a fleet of CU Buff Bikes,
A new no-interest bike loan at the U of C Federal Credit Union,
A west bound bike lane on Colorado between 28th and 26th Streets,
North and south bound bike lanes on the 28th Street frontage Road,
Improvements to the east entrance of the College Avenue underpass beneath 28th Street,
Retrofitting one of Transportation Service's Buff Buses to operate on biodiesel fuel,
Development of a facility to process oil and grease from Housing kitchens into biodiesel fuel,
Purchase of three new natural gas fueled Buff Buses by Transportation Services,
The addition of three hybrid electric Toyota Prius cars to the campus fleet,
The addition of an electric GEM panel truck to the fleet at Environmental Health and Safety,
The addition of two electric GEM cars to the Transportation Services fleet,
The hire of a new Transportation Outreach Coordinator for the campus,
The defeat of SB03-74 that would have diverted RTD funds to roadway improvements,
The defeat of an RTD proposal to eliminate the employee and neighborhood Eco Pass programs,
The addition of new, campus oriented housing on Taft Avenue,
CU participation in the advisory committee to the city's Transportation Master Plan Update, as well as in the financing and bike/ped sub-committees,
First annual "Bike Bash" spring biking event,
Addition of a "Do you really need a car on campus?" page to the student parking permit sale web site,
Continuation of alternate modes information outreach at parking permit sales, new student orientations, new faculty orientations and new employee orientations,
Transportation issue area incorporated into the Campus Resource Conservation Committee,
Addition of commuter rail between Boulder and Longmont to the Locally Preferred Alternative package of recommendations for the US 36 corridor,
The sixth faculty/staff Eco Pass program tracking survey was conducted in fall of 2002; showing:
- Buff bikes next to the UMC The proportion of faculty and staff commuting to campus via transit full-time has more than doubled, increasing by a factor of 2.4 - up from 8.7% in 1997 before the Eco Pass to 21% in late fall of 2002.
- The proportion of faculty and staff commuting to campus via transit at least one day a week has nearly doubled, up from 17% in 1997 before the Eco Pass to 33% in late fall of 2002; a 194 % increase.
- A drop in the average number of days/week faculty and staff parked a vehicle on campus, from 2.8 before Eco Pass to 2.4 in fall of 2002, resulting in 536 fewer vehicles coming to campus each day.
- A drop in the proportion of faculty and staff who park on campus at least one day a week from 64% before the Eco Pass (1997) to 56% in the fall of 2002.
- Bike parking upgrades at several campus housing facilities
- Bike racks installed at a number of campus-area bus stops o Bike racks upgraded at a number of existing bike lots
- A partnership with the U of C federal credit Union to create the Easy Ride no interest bike loan program
- The creation of the Buff Bikes free bicycle rental program

Next Steps

Emerging opportunities include:

The creation and promotion of a vanpooling program,
Integration of "Commuter Choice" information with Human Resources outreach,
Plans for a high-frequency transit service, the DART, between Boulder & Longmont
The start of the $15 million environmental impact study for the US 36 improvements, jointly funded by RTD and CDOT
Completion of a CU Parking and Transportation Micro-master Plan by mid-2004. This ia a critical planning exercise; progress to date can be found here.
Promotion of Eco Pass use for local/regional campus business travel as part of the effort to conserve campus dollars and resources for education,
Creation of a regional/Front Range campus bicycle program manager's group,
Taking a new look at creating an east-west bike route across campus. The Environmental Center is funding a consultant to prepare a bikeway corridor functional design plan for an east-west connection through the CU main campus from Broadway / Pleasant to Folsom / Colorado.
Developing a campus bicycle station, to provide a one stop shop for bicycle registration, the Easy Ride loan program, the Buff Bikes bike check-out program, bicycle and bus information, a pump and tool board, and covered and secure bike parking. A first phase bike station has been developed in a temporary location east of the UMC; and the university is applying for federal transportation funding for a future phase.