see file

Several SWATeam recommendations were discussed.  Also, an update from the Sustainability Council was provided:

"Review of Council Meeting/Status of iCAP Approval - The Sustainability Council meeting went very well with lots of good discussion. There were not too many serious objections to the iCAP. They would like to see financial information, such as cost-benefit analysis on projects. This information will be included in the study for accelerating our carbon neutrality date. The cover letter from the Chancellor affirming our commitment will include language about the current fiscal climate in Illinois. The Chancellor was keen to be able to reach carbon neutrality by 2035. Other concerns were in regard to the net zero space item and they suggested a space audit be included in the iCAP."

Dear iCAP Working Group Members,

As a reminder, we will be meeting this Thursday at 1:30 (and also next Thursday, 4/9, at 1:30).

This week we will discuss the timeline for completing our work on the iCAP, and then turn our attention to the 7 attached formal recommendations we've received from the Transportation and Purchasing, Waste, and Recycling SWATeams.  Please review these in advance of the meeting, so that we can discuss them most efficiently.  If you will not be able to join us due to a schedule conflict, please email me in advance if you have any particular concerns.

Next week (4/9), we'll be joined by Kent Reifsteck and Mike Larson from F&S, and also Scott Willenbrock from the Energy Generation SWATeam, so that we can discuss what the iCAP should say about charting a pathway for clean energy for our campus.

Thanks,

Ben

Professor Benjamin J. McCall

Associate Director for Campus Sustainability Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus-sustainability@illinois.edu

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Sustainability Working Advisory Team on Transportation

Date:                12-17-14

To:                   Sustainability Working Advisory Team on Transportation

                        Wojtek Chodzo-Zajko, Professor of Kinesiology and Community Health

                        Bumsoo Lee, Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning

                        Richard Langlois, Senior eLearning Professional, CITES

                        Peter Varney, Director of Transportation and Automotive Services, Facilities & Services

                        Grace Kyung, Student Member

                        Justin Licke, Student Member  

From:               Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko

Re:       Agenda for Friday December 19, 2014, 1:00 pm meeting 128 Freer

1.         Feedback from Pam Voitik (F&S) – Appendix One

2.         Feedback from Michelle Wahl (Parking) – Appendix Two

3.         Discussion of version 2 2015 iCAP Report (pgs. 26-30) - attached

4.         SWAT strategy cost estimates

5.         Other items

Dear Transportation SWATeam,

Morgan and I had a very nice discussion with Pam Voitik at F&S late last week, and I wanted to brief you on some of the key points as they relate to the iCAP revisions.

1) F&S is in favor of hiring a full-time "Active Transportation Coordinator," and having that person report to the Transportation Demand Management Coordinator (Stacey DeLorenzo).  "Active Transportation" (as you probably all know, but I didn't!) is industry lingo for all transportation except single-occupancy-vehicles.  So this person would be responsible for mode shift, the Bike Plan, and so forth...basically the last two bullet points in item #6 on page 30 of the current draft.

2) Pete Varney and his team would be the sensible locus for efforts related to shifting the fleet more towards EVs and bicycles, and exploring renewable fuels for the fleet.  [The second and third bullet points in item #6 on page 30.]

3) The first bullet point, about air travel, is outside of the scope of F&S, and should perhaps be a focus of iSEE or another entity in the domain of the Chancellor or Vice Chancellors.

4) The Campus Bicycle Plan is essentially finalized now, but F&S is working on ascertaining exactly what entity should formally approve it. 

Pam's suggestion is that it should be approved by the campus leadership (rather than by F&S), but the responsibility for implementing it should be with F&S.  This would give the Plan more authority/heft than if it were approved by F&S alone. There is reason to hope that this approval will be finalized before the iCAP.

Cheers,

Ben

Michelle Wahl is on board regarding attendance at our next meeting. I'm attaching some basic cost information regarding costs of constructing/maintaining spaces on campus that she has provided. She is willing to provide more information, if requested. However, it might be beneficial for her to meet with the group to discuss what is desired rather than having her shotgun us with financial information. - Pete

Hi team,

Below are notes I took doing today’s forum on feedback about our section. Sorry if I missed anything. 

• Addressing electrical vehicle ars
  • Should we put these at shuttle lots? Where are the best locations for these? 
  • We should be careful in making sure the electric charging stations aren’t emitting more carbon and hurting us in advancing our goals 
• Biodiesel might be a difficult sell 
• Carbon Tax on projects 
• Tax could be used on these action steps
• Relative vs. absolute emissions
• Air travel emissions 

Thanks for those attending. Sounds like we have a lot ahead of us for our section!

Grace

Dear Ben

I am pleased to provide you with our consensus final report.

I was able to address the concerns your raised regarding (1) clarifying the nature of purchased off-sets, and (2) making it clear that we are not necessarily requesting a new OFFICE be established for Sustainable Transportation, rather we would like to see a director of Sustainable Transportation appointed.

Regarding the specification of revised targets.  Our committee had extended discussions on this topic and our position is stated in the report as follows;

"Our committee recognizes that the 2015 goal of reducing carbon emissions by 30 percent relative to the 2008 baseline is unrealistic. Similar concerns can also be raised regarding the more distal targets.  It is the position of our committee that insufficient information is available to provide adjusted transportation emission targets at this point in time. Until such time as substantive decisions have been made regarding strategies to reduce carbon emissions and/or to allow the purchase of carbon offsets, it will be difficult to develop more specific data-based targets for transportation emissions."

We understand that you would have preferred to have new and explicit targets set for intervening years between 2015 and 2050 but it is the position of our committee that there is insufficient data to develop such predictions.  If you or other committees want to take up this task, we would not object.

Thank you for your help on this important and exciting project.

On behalf of the entire committee,

Sincerely

Wojtek