UF car-sharing, car-pool programs promote green campus

January 30, 2007

The University of Florida kicked off 2007 by rolling out new programs to help ease traffic and work toward the goal of a sustainable campus.

“We want to create a balance sheet of the carbon emissions that are caused by campus operations,” said Dedee DeLongpré, director of the Office of Sustainability.

In January, UF teamed up with the Washington-based car-sharing service Flexcar to offer rental cars by the hour to faculty, staff and students.

“We needed a way to better utilize transportation services,” said Allan Preston, coordinator of UF’s quality office. “This really was the best service that we could find for car sharing.”

Any student or employee over the age of 18 is eligible to join Flexcar for a one-time application fee of $35 and an annual fee of $40 at www.flexcar.com. The application fee is waived for UF departments using Flexcar for official business.

The introductory rate of $5.50 an hour includes gas, insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance. Flexcar members locate a vehicle and make reservations online.

The car-sharing program fits the overall goal of campus sustainability by persuading drivers to use resources more wisely. Some university departments already have given up their vehicles in favor of using Flexcar.

“It goes beyond saying that we are going to be a green campus; it’s a better use of taxpayer money,” Preston said.

UF also now allows two-person car pools and has implemented an online service to link commuters with other commuters who share specific routes.

Through the UF/GreenRide Program, employees create an account through their e-mail address to anonymously search for potential car pools in their area. Car poolers can even be matched by smoking and music preferences.

“It’s a safe, secure way for people to find car poolers,” DeLongpré said. “Ultimately, I think it builds community because people get to know people they didn’t know before.”

To participate, each member of the car pool purchases an annual car pool parking decal for $60, about one-quarter the cost of an orange or blue decal. Members of a car pool must be full-time UF or Shands employees. Students are encouraged to use the UF/GreenRide Program to share rides with other student commuters. More than 160 people have created a UF GreenRide account since its debut earlier this month.

“Every day we are seeing new car pools that are forming, so we are looking at different areas on campus to increase car-pool zones,” said Ron Fuller, assistant director of transportation and parking services.

Last May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named the University of Florida one of the best workplaces in the country for commuters after looking at issues like air quality, energy conservation and reduction of traffic congestion. UF was the only university in Florida to make the list by offering commuter benefits meeting the EPA’s National Standard of Excellence.