6. Transportation
Environmentally sustainable transportation does not endanger public health or ecosystems and meets needs for access consistent with the use of (1) renewable resources at or below their rates of regeneration, and (2) nonrenewable resources at or below the rates of development of renewable substitutes. A sustainable transportation system:
- limits emissions and waste,
- minimizes consumption of nonrenewable resources,
- limits consumption of renewable resources to the sustainable yield level,
- reuses and recycles its components, and
- minimizes the use of land and the production of noise.
Sustainable transportation must therefore balance a variety of economic, social, and environmental goals. As such, it looks primarily at policies and practices in relation to how schools promote alternative transportation options. A college or university's institutional policies should promote a pedestrian- and/or bike-friendly campus and assess the availability of bike-sharing programs. The utilization of alternative fuel, as well as hybrid technology, in vehicle fleets is taken into consideration. Sustainable transportation on the college campus also examines incentives provided by a school to students, faculty, and staff for carpooling or for using public transit. It considers how schools provide access to public transit or to popular off-campus destinations through the use of shuttles or similar systems.
CUNY's fleet of vehicles is estimated to account for a further 5 to 10 percent of the university's overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Efforts to introduce hybrid and nonpolluting vehicles across the university will reduce its carbon footprint. Transportation measures, making it easier for CUNY's 500,000+ students, staff, and faculty to reach campus without the use of private cars, will also affect GHG emissions for which the university is accountable. These include the introduction of bike racks on and around campuses, improvements in bus links to and between campuses, and encouraging carpooling.
Brooklyn College is addressing these issues by:
- working with the Office of Campus and Community Safety Services and the Metropolitan Transit Authority to promote a pedestrian- and bike-friendly campus through education, awareness raising and events;
- making significant changes to our fleet of vehicles by purchasing electric carts and vans, utilizing alternative fuel and hybrid technologies;
- encouraging bicycling by adding and maintaining bicycle racks in safe, well-lit, accessible locations that are easily seen by security officers; and
- encouraging our community to reduce fuel emissions by engaging in carpooling to and from campus.
