The iCAP Transportation Team had our first meeting of the spring semester on Monday, Feb. 10th.

There were a lot of exciting updates - the 2025 Campus Bike Plan has been published, student's research projects are progressing as they look into systems and infrastructures other universities have in place to encourage active and less environmentally impactful methods of transit, and we are working on finalizing the Campus Transportation Survey to send out in the next couple of weeks.

The Transportation iCAP Team had their first meeting for the fall semester! Exciting to review projects where they were left off and pick them back up. The minutes are attached. We introduced the projects for the year and discussed what next steps look like for them.

Following is some information from University of Wisconsin-Madison regarding their Emergency Ride Home program:

UW Madison's Emergency Ride Home Program is intended to provide another incentive to employees who opt NOT do drive alone to campus, so it is not available to any employee with an annual (car) parking permit. https://transportation.wisc.edu/commuter-solutions/emergency-ride-home/. They use a voucher based system for their ERH program with an annual budget of $1,600. They have less than 2 dozen people use the ERH program every year and they give 3 vouchers for Lyft to those enrolled in this program. UW Madison still sees a desire for this program, because as they said, “the point is that the rides are free.”

• How often an employee can use this service in a year?
  • ERH can be used up to three times every six months.
• How do you fund the ERH program? Do you use your departmental funds or is there another funding source available?
  • ERH is funded through parking revenue
• How often do employees use this program? What is the annual cost that you have to reimburse (in general)?
  • Annual budget is $1,600
• does the $1,600 per year budget includes administrative cost?

  • No, but there essentially are not any administrative cost. The program takes very little time and it is folded into my existing duties

• Who has the administrative responsibility for this program?

  • I do. It is a UW Transportation Services program.

• I understand that the employees need to not pay the taxi and just provide the driver with the ERH form. Does the taxi company file for reimbursement? How does that system look like?

  • We have a contract with the cab companies and they invoice us and include a copy of the form with the invoice.

• I am a bit confused about the Lyft option. The website says that users will get 3 codes to use per six months after submitting the form, but how do you ensure that the users are not using this code for personal use?

  • We assume good faith use. To get the Lyft code you click a box that says you agree to our policies. In theory if someone abused the program they might be subject to disciplinary action (or at least a nasty letter and/or being banned from future use).

• Would you be able to connect me with the Lyft point of contact that you have for the ERH program?

  • Avery Gordon avery@lyft.com

• Employees only get either 3 codes by Lyft or 3 taxi fares, right?

  • The policy is 3 total rides per 6 months, but it would be possible to cheat that and do both (or use more than 3 cab rides). It is up to me to monitor for abuse. In the 16 years that I have managed the program I have had ONE case of abuse.  We literally goes months sometimes with no one using the program and there’s never more than half a dozen rides in a single month.

Please see attached the meeting notes from our meeting on May 22, 2023. Attended by: Morgan White, Stacey DeLorenzo, Sarthak Prasad, Jennifer Fraterrigo

Major talking points:

• Emergency/Guaranteed Ride Home program is like an insurance program
• Concern - program funding for itself
• Ride sharing
• Carpool options
• Three types of programs:
  • Celebrate those who active mode of transportation
  • Those who relinquish their parking pass (Commuter Program)
  • Emergency Ride Home Program

Action items for Sarthak:

• Ask Maria McMullen (Parking) – if there is a carpool permit and how does it work
• Ask Yanfeng about the Vanpool survey
• Have other universities done a study or a review of the ERH program
  • Whether there is a desire/demand for ERH now that there are Uber/Lyft and other programs
  • Have they evaluated their program?
  • If not, do a survey on campus
• talk to Advancements/Corporate Relations about Uber/Lyft (benefits/free)
  • Try and get a phone call with Barlo Levold
• Fact Sheet for all the different programs that support the car free lifestyle
  • Arent you glad, you dont have a car
  • Maybe work with a student group to make it a little
• Ask Veo and ZipCar if the participants used their services
• Ask for feedback from the participants
• Extend the pilot through to December
• Ask for feedback in fall
  • Not reopen the enrollment
• Talk to Parking
• Ask all parking permit holders if they may be interested in this program

The Commuter Program has registered 17 participants for the pilot program. The program will be launched on Feb 15, 2023.

The Commuter Program page is live on the TDM website: https://fs.illinois.edu/services/more-services/tdm/commuter-program-bus-bike-and-hike. We will start with an e-update to recruit people from F&S, and then reach out to e-week and other newsletter for this pilot (cut-off at 15 participants). The recruitment will end on Feb 10, and the program will launch Feb 15.

Register here: go.fs.illinois.edu/CommuterProgram

The University of Illinois (UIUC) is interested in achieving its Climate Action Plan’s transportation sustainability goals by “reducing single-occupancy vehicle usage” and “promoting the use of electric vehicles” on campus. This survey is designed to evaluate the commuting needs of UIUC faculty and staff, so as to inform future actions on two fronts: (i) feasibility of developing a faculty/staff carpool service, and (ii) expanding electrified vehicle charging infrastructure on campus.

Survey link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d7c2b2bf267245808ab12570323b5402 

The Transportation iCAP team met on Friday, October 29th for its monthly meeting. The team discussed the plans for the proposed Commuter Program, the Walkability Audit, and the Campus Transportation Advisory Committee. Additionally, steps will be taken to pick up the Fleet Replacement Recommendation and the EV Task Force Member Recommendation.

Meeting Recording