UC San Diego Transportation
Department Wins “Best Practice” Awards

March 23, 2007

By Brook Williamson

The University of California, San Diego will receive three awards at the annual University of California Transportation Conference being held in downtown San Diego at the Westgate Hotel March 26-29.  The awards recognize the “Best Practice” efforts of UCSD’s Department of Transportation and Parking Services (TPS).

UCSD will receive Best Practice Awards in the categories of Parking Operational Program for installing high-speed security gates; Transportation Operational Program for upgrading and enhancing the Americans with Disabilities Act Transport Service, and Transportation Innovation/Use of Technology for creating an automatic vehicle location system that tracks the fleet and improves passenger safety.

The conference provides an opportunity for leaders statewide in the university transportation and parking services arena to discuss challenges, solutions, and innovations in sustainable transportation.  The University of California has made a system-wide commitment to reduce carbon emissions, energy consumption and reliance on imported fossil fuels.  UCSD supports and adheres to the UC Policy on Green Building Design, Clean Energy Standard, and Sustainable Transportation Practices.

“We encourage commuters to use alternate forms of transportation,” said Brian d’Autremont, TPS director.  “Approximately 43 percent of UCSD commuters use some form of alternative transportation, including, bikes, buses, trains and vanpools.”

The last two years, UCSD was named one of the nation’s “Best Workplaces for Commuters” by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation for its popular transportation alternatives. 

UCSD tripled its Free Bus Zone this year through a partnership with the Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District; introduced the Flexcar program to provide free car-sharing service for faculty and staff who do not purchase parking permits; and increased shuttle coverage to the Coaster and Express trains.  Recent survey results indicate that transit ridership has more than doubled between 2006 and 2007.

Last year UCSD implemented the “Sustainable Fleet Management Plan” by purchasing 225 electric or “zero emission vehicles” and 32 hybrid vehicles for its fleet.  The university also converted to a blend of ultra-low sulfur bio-diesel for the diesel fleet, which eliminated more than 70 metric tons of CO2 emissions and reduced sulfur emissions by 97 percent.

In addition, last fall UCSD reduced the number of Single Occupancy Vehicles on campus by 800 cars, which reduced annual carbon dioxide emissions by 12,000 pounds per vehicle, for a total reduction of 9.6 million pounds of CO2.

Other UC campuses receiving awards this year at the transportation conference are UC Los Angeles, UC Riverside and UC San Francisco.

Media Contacts:
Brook Williamson, 858-534-0361
Brian d'Autremont, 858-534-6070