Commute Green on Earth Day and Everyday

By Rob Goodspeed
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Did you know you can purchase a bundle of one-day parking permits to park on campus, get discounted Metro cards, or even rent a Zipcar on campus?

Many of our readers commute to the UMD campus, and others are effected by the choices made by those who work or study here. To the end of encouraging transit and minimizing the number of cars on campus, the Department of Transportation Services has circulated a list of programs and services that encourage “green” commutes.

Bundle Pack Permits
Bundle pack permits are the perfect solution for commuter students, faculty, or staff members who might have only the occasional need to drive a vehicle to campus. Each bundle pack contains 10 one-day parking permits and costs only $25. You may purchase a bundle pack at the DOTS Regents Drive Garage office.

Green Permit (Coming in Fall 2008)
The Green Permit will continue our efforts of giving incentive and rewarding those who use environmentally friendly methods to commute to and around campus. Such incentives include better lot choices and discounted permits for members of our carpooling program, free hours of Zipcar use, and Metrochek/Smart Trip pre-tax benefits. By offering a discounted permit to a qualifying vehicle based on fuel efficiency, emissions and environmental impact, we are joining the University’s efforts to encourage environmentally aware and friendly citizens on campus. The qualifying details of the Green Permit program are still in the process of being finalized and will be published soon. Please keep visiting www.transportation.umd.edu for updates.

Metrochek/Smart Trip Pre-tax Deductions
If you regularly use public transportation for your commute to work, then this program is a true benefit for you. You can literally save hundreds of dollars annually because the deductions you authorize through an automatic payroll deduction are taken from your pay PRE-TAX. Visit http://www.transportation.umd.edu/alt_trans/metro.html for more information.

Park & Rides and Shuttle Service
DOTS offers fare-free bus services from the Bowie, Burtonsville and Laurel park & ride lots to the College Park campus. Passengers can park their cars in conveniently located lots and take the shuttle bus to campus. These routes are part of the DOTS commuter service and run several times a day. In addition, we operate 13 other commuter routes and five evening service routes that extend into the neighboring communities. For route and schedule information about these park & rides and other routes, please visit our website.

Smart Park Carpool
This program allows students to locate other people who are interested in forming a carpool. Carpool participants share the cost of the carpool permit and the convenience of carpooling to campus. Participants also enjoy the benefits of better lot choices and discounted personal permits. Benefits of carpooling include: decrease in the number of drivers on the road, decrease in the amount of gas consumed, lowered amount of emissions in the air, decrease in the amount of parking needed, and reduced wear on personal vehicles. Visit our website for more information.

Zipcar
The Department of Transportation Services has partnered with Zipcar to offer students, faculty, and staff the benefits of a car-sharing service. As a Zipcar member, you have access to five cars on campus and nearly 700 cars parked all over the DC metro area. Members can drive Zipcars by the hour or by the day. No need to worry about gas, insurance or maintenance. Just reserve online, let yourself in with your Zipcard, and drive away. Even students, 18-20, have the opportunity to join. Faculty and staff Zipcar members who qualify for the Faculty/Staff Premier Plan can get six monthly driving hours free credited to their personal Zipcar accounts. For more information about this plan and using a Zipcar, visit www.transportation.umd.edu/alt_trans/zipcar .

Posted in Transportation, Environment | Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 | Trackback

6 Responses to “Commute Green on Earth Day and Everyday”

  1. Jane Doe Says:
    April 22nd, 2008 at 2:47 pm

    Well, I am underwhelmed by this list of wonderful green solutions.
    Every one of them involves people traveling to the campus. I would think there would be a number of employees who do their work on a computer which does not need to be in College Park. Yes, I am talking about telecommuting. It seems to me that to allow some employees to telecommute one or two days a week would have a number of benefits. It would reduce the cost of commuting for the employee. It would give the employee some extra time on telecommuting days. It could reduce the need for office space on the campus.

    Well, I could go on, but I’m sure my betters have enough to work on for now.

  2. Clay Says:
    April 23rd, 2008 at 8:29 am

    I have to give big props to DOT for the bundle packs.
    When the price of a campus permit went up over $300 per year it was the motivation I needed to forgo driving to campus. I was always reluctant to get rid of my permit before because there were always days where I just have to drive in. Got a off campus meeting, need to carry lots of equipment, whatever. Anyway I got the bundle pack and was able to park in LOT 1 on those days. I could use the permit only on days I needed them. The rest of the time I rode the bike. Its a GREAT alternative for folks who don’t want to drive in everyday.

    RE: Jane Doe
    You are right in telecommuting needs to be supported more. My wife works at home for campus right now. So the option is there. It is up to each department to use it as they wish. This post was about commuting options.

  3. Kevin Fallon Says:
    April 23rd, 2008 at 8:47 am

    Jane Doe underwhelmed by a positive step in the right direction taken by the campus? Imagine that! Now there’s something you dont see every day! Similar to Clay’s wife, I will be telecommuting in my new role w/ U of Md, so I know it is an option if the position can work in that model.

    I am impressed with the University’s efforts to be more green. It is an issue that is taken seriously. And the actions back up the words. If we could just get the purple line issue right, whatever the right answer may be.

  4. Jane Doe Says:
    April 23rd, 2008 at 2:52 pm

    “This post was about commuting options.”

    Yes, Clay that is what it was about. The title of this blog is ‘Rethink College Park’. I was trying to suggest the the U and DOTS should ‘Rethink Daily Commuting’.

  5. Alexander Gorelik Says:
    May 4th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

    When I first read this post, I thought to myself great, how fantastic – a whole lot of brand new, yet useless plans to help the environment by creating alternative options for commuters. It is at times when I read plans like this that I wonder most whether the people creating all these ideas really have actual users of their plans in mind or whether the true goal is simply to say they did something and have some sort of proof.
    The Department of Transportation Services has circulated a list of these programs and services that supposedly encourage “green” commutes and minimize the number of cars on campus - in reality most of them will never achieve even a minor substantial impact, each carrying major flaws.
    Bundle Pack Permits for one are an idea that has minimal benefit for 99% of the campus considering the fact that most people whose cars you see parked all along campus have to be there more than just 10 times. For the people that don’t there’ve long been alternatives of guest parking and parking meters as well as parking in most lots after 4pm if that’s when you need it and etc. What happens when a commuter who thought they need to be on campus only 10 times, has to come in for a weekend and has no where to purchase the extra permit, even worse several weekends.
    Green Permit (Coming in Fall 2008) is actually probably the dumbest idea of all that are proposed considering the fact that a large majority of cars already on campus belong to commuter students who for the most part don’t have a major freedom of choice to which car they drive – and thus are not going to be going out buying that hybrid to get lower permit costs. Furthermore, most people already have a car and will not be going in trading their car in for something more environmental losing money most likely, all simply to save 20$ on a permit. The only thing that the green permit is going to achieve is giving out undeserved benefits to people lucky enough to be driving a good mileage vehicle to campus at the moment. As encouragement goes, it will offer none. It will simply spread rewards in a lottery like manner as one would know from a basic economics course considering the fact that people already have “sunk costs” in their current vehicles.
    Smart Park Carpool would offer a good option for those that don’t mind sharing the car with that smelly obese guy who apparently lives nearby but those that are fine with the option have been carpooling since long before the valuable release of this document. Also the link doesn’t work.
    The Zipcar option is even more foolish offering absolutely nothing for most drivers on campus, since it still pollutes the environment just for a higher cost to the user.
    As far as Jane Doe’s suggestion goes, the use of technology is the only way to improve conditions significantly as shown in economics studies that is without altering other inputs or in other words changing our lifestyle. If there were more classes on campus that were to become relatively paperless or mixed paperless, online, etc. such as HISP200, that would offer an option for people who chose not to come to class not to do so without any serious detriment. Commuters would commute less for it would be expensive, time consuming and lacking few benefits to them, there’d be less cars on campus. If any job that could be done by telecommuting like Clay’s wife’s job, that again would decrease a lot of the issues and among other things lower the congestion. But as far as of any suggestions made, that is the only one that even slightly makes sense or creates some sort of positive impact, while as most of the things that are proposed by DOTS are simply empty words that won’t really do anything except give off the aura of environmental conscientiousness.

  6. Lorren Kaberle Says:
    May 14th, 2008 at 2:39 pm

    After reading this list of “green options” I am somewhat disappointed. Some of the ideas are good, but will doubtfully work in helping the environment. These ideas are mediocre in attempting to actually make the campus a more environmentally friendly place. This list of new ways to go green on campus really isn’t new, and really isn’t a good list.
    Starting with the bundle pack parking permits, this will make it easier to bring a car onto campus, which is completely opposite of the goal to go green. I do not understand how this new parking feature on campus will in any way help the environment. This is convenient, however, for all students to know about, just in case they would like to have their car on campus for a day. If I had known about this feature last year I would not have gotten 7 parking tickets, so it would have saved me quite a bit of money, but it will not help to save the environment when it is making the campus more inviting to drive and park on. This feature in my opinion will bring more cars onto the UMD campus and will not be an environmentally friendly option.
    In agreement with Alexander, the Green Permit is not a good idea. While it may promote more people to carpool, it will not necessarily reduce the number of cars on campus. Tons of commuter students already carpool onto campus, and rewarding them is a great way to show appreciation for being green, but the fact that they are giving discounts to commuter students who drive environmentally friendly cars is absolutely ridiculous. Many people who park here on campus are COLLEGE STUDENTS seeing how this is a college, and they are not going to be able to afford hybrids and other environmentally friendly cars. I personally am thankful to have a car that I can drive if need be. I am completely not in control of the fuel efficiency of my vehicle. The only people I can see benefiting from this new permit are the few people on campus with nice cars.
    The Metrochek/ Smart Trip deductions and the free bus services to park-and-rides are probably most environmentally friendly options on this list. I am totally for public transportation, and anyone commuting every day on the metro has my vote. I think it would be difficult to commute in this way since it takes a long time to wait for a bus, ride the bus, and then walk wherever you need to go on campus, but if commuters are willing to leave early than this would be the most environmentally friendly options.
    The smart park carpool is a good idea since it would reduce the number of cars on campus, but I could see conflict with who gets the “shared permit” and when. Also, students have to go on campus unexpectedly, so there could be conflicts with two people paying for the same parking pass and needing it at different times. When students get out of class at different times and have intense social schedules, homework, etc., I have a feeling that lots of conflict would arise. I could see this working out only in certain situations, but in those cases the people would most likely already carpool together.
    The zipcar is a good thought to include on campus, but probably will not get much of a response from students. Most students are not willing to pay $7.25 an hour during the week and up to $13 an hour on the weekends for a little car that looks stupid to drive and you have to worry about getting back on time. The majority of college students do not have money to spare for a zipcar, let alone pay for rent or groceries. Even with gas being so expensive, it is still cheaper to pay for an hour’s worth of gas than pay for an hour’s driving time in a zipcar. The zipcar is a normal car, so it is not more environmentally friendly than a regular car that would be cheaper to drive.
    In agreement with Jane Doe, this list of green options involving commuting should involve more telecommuting options. Telecommuting really is the most environmentally friendly way. As for ways the campus is trying to help become green, they should start smaller. Commuting in itself is not environmentally friendly whatsoever, no matter how many zipcars we add to the equation. Lets try recycling more.

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