Sustainability@UIC

UIC Multimodal Transportation Plan

2013-11-18T10:12:00.003-06:00

CMAP's Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program and the Active Transportation Alliance are helping UIC embark on an interactive, community-based process to create a multimodal transportation plan. The transportation recommendations of UIC's 2010 Campus Master Plan will serve as the framework to examine current conditions and plan future improvements. The intent of the multimodal transportation plan is to improve the flow of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles in and around campus to better serve the needs of all travelers, including persons with disabilities.

To meet our vision for the future of UIC's campus, we need to understand what our priorities are. Please participate in this interactive survey to help us determine your travel priorities, how you get around campus, and comment on how to improve amenities and opportunities on campus.

This planning process has been developed in collaboration with the UIC Office of Sustainability and the Campus Master Plan Implementation Committee and will take place over the next 12 months. More information about the project can be found at the CMAP website.

DIVVY: Chicago's New Bike Share System - Discounted Annual Membership for State of Illinois Employees before August 31!

2013-08-16T13:39:00.001-05:00

Have you seen those new blue bikes parked at Harrison & Morgan and Halsted & Polk? They are part of the new Divvy transit system that offers Chicagoans and visitors more options for getting around the city. Here's how you can get $20 OFF an Annual Membership that gives you access to 1000s of bikes at 100s of stations across the city.

JOIN

To receive your $55 discounted Annual Membership (regularly $75), please email govtdiscount@divvybikes.com with "Divvy IL Discount" in the subject line and we will email you a gift certificate code to use at DivvyBikes.com/signup at checkout. Offer ends August 31, 2013, so get your Membership today!

You'll enter your information and pay $55 with your credit card at checkout. Divvy will then send you a key in the mail that can be used at any Divvy station across the city.

TAKE

To use a Divvy bike, simply dip your key into a dock with an available bike at any station. Locations can be seen at DivvyBikes.com/stations.

RIDE

Communute to work. Run errands. Take out a bike as many times as you'd like - the first 30 min of every ride are included in the Annual Membership. Incremental fees are incurred for trips longer than 30 min. More at DivvyBikes.com/pricing.

RETURN

At the end of your trip, return your bike to any Divvy station. The light will blink green when your bike is securely docked.

SISE 2013 Applications Now Open

2013-06-07T16:43:00.003-05:00

Announcing the 3rd annual

SUMMER INSTITUTE ON SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY

Hosted by the Energy Initiative at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory; Clean Energy Trust; Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (University of Chicago); Energy and Sustainability Engineering (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign); Initiative for Sustainability & Energy at Northwestern (Northwestern University); Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research (Illinois Institute of Technology)

What is the Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy?

The Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) is a two-week intensive workshop and lecture series geared towards individuals interested in the title subjects: sustainability and energy. From August 5-16, a diverse body of participants will converge on the UIC campus and immerse itself in a broad spectrum of sustainability and energy related topics. Issues presented will be of interest to scientists, economists, political scientists, urban planners, engineers, architects, and entrepreneurs. Participants will engage these issues through interactive and interdisciplinary lectures and panel discussions, collaborative research projects that stress scientific innovation and entrepreneurship, networking opportunities with academics and professionals, and tours of sustainability and energy related sites in the Chicago area. This experience leaves graduates of the Summer Institute with a firm foundation for future careers in sustainability and energy, and inspires them to lead the next generation as thoughtful and informed global citizens. For 2013, SISE will look at sustainability and energy through the lens of transportation.

SISE is directed by Dr. George Crabtree, Senior-Scientist and Director of the JCESR program at Argonne National Laboratory, and Distinguished Professor of Physics at UIC. Check out his interview on the Washington Post here!

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED.

Admission into the program is highly competitive. 60-80 participants will be accepted from a pool of national applicants. SISE will continue to accept applications up until July 1, 2013. Admissions is granted on a semi-rolling basis. Applications are reviewed near the beginning of each month. Applicants should 1) fill out the online application, 2) submit a resume, and 3) send in three letters of recommendation. Applicants will need a working LinkedIn profile to complete the online application.

LEARN MORE ABOUT US!

We invite you to learn more about the Summer Institute.

Visit us on the web at [ http://sise.phy.uic.edu/ ], and like us on Facebook at [ https://www.facebook.com/uic.sise ]

If you have any questions, please also feel free to contact [ 2013.sise@gmail.com ]. One of out SISE staff will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have.

Help understand UIC's Greenhouse Gas emissions

2013-02-13T10:03:00.000-06:00

The University of Illinois at Chicago is conducting research activities to evaluate the sustainable redevelopment of Grant, Lincoln and Douglas Halls. Campus travel is one component of sustainable development. This campus travel survey is intended to determine how students, staff and faculty at UIC travel to and from campus. The results of this survey will be used to:

Understand available transportation options and decisions
Estimate how transportation habits affect the environment
Qualify for future LEED EBOM recertifications

The survey should take approximately 15 minutes. While no absolute guarantees can be made regarding the confidentiality of electronic data, your confidentiality will be maintained to the degree permitted by the technology used.

Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary. Please be advised that you are not required to participate; however, your participation will be greatly appreciated as it will help provide a snapshot of your community’s transportation decisions.

To take the survey, go to the campus travel survey site.

If you have any questions regarding the research, please contact:

Tom Brecheisen

Institute for Environmental Science and Policy (MC 673)
2121 W. Taylor Street, Room 529

Chicago, Illinois 60612

312-996-1081

tbrech2@uic.edu

Principal Investigator:

Thomas L. Theis, Ph.D.

Institute for Environmental Science and Policy (MC 673)

2121 W. Taylor Street, Room 529

Chicago, Illinois 60612

312-996-1081

theist@uic.edu

Thank you very much and we look forward to hearing from you!

How do we commute to campus?

2013-02-06T14:25:00.000-06:00

In 2011 the Office of Sustainability conducted a travel survey to assess how faculty, staff and students travel to campus. We used this data to figure out the "Mode Split", that is how many people ride different modes of transit to campus. See the table below for the results:

As you can see, 64% of the students use public transit to get to campus, while only 43% of staff and 47% of faculty do so. Or looked at another way 13% of our students drive to campus by themselves, while 33% and 44% of our faculty and staff, respectively, drive alone. Around 5% of people come to campus by bike.

The Office of Sustainability is developing programs to enhance commuting options such as ride-sharing, via iCarpool and car-sharing. We also have a information on our website about biking.

Watch for the 2013 Campus Travel Survey and be sure to participate!

Bicycle Design Competition: Cycle the Circle

2012-12-11T17:29:00.000-06:00

Guest post by Brianna Ceglia, Office of Sustainability Graduate Assistant.

This fall semester, the Office of Sustainability and the UIC School of Architecture hosted an interdisciplinary design competition for students. This collaboration, the first of its kind, was an experiment in a new kind of partnership for the Office.

The competition challenged students to assess and provide improvements for biking on campus, a subject that has been the focus of Office member Kate Yoshida’s work for over a year. The Bike Advisory Committee, created by Kate and comprised of several capstone students, has conducted bike-mapping studies to better understand the needs of UIC cyclists, among other outreach activities.

Kate first approached the School of Architecture at the end of the Spring 2012 semester with the idea that students could create a broad, innovative vision for how biking could be enhanced at UIC. By working closely with the School and one of its premier student organizations, the Department of Urban Speculation (DeptUS), this vision was realized through a 10-day competition titled the “Cycle the Circle Competition”, which ran from October 26^th to November 5^th.

The competition was a wonderful success by all measures; initial student turn out for the kick-off event on the 26^th was beyond expectations, and totaled 11 teams of four. Students were enthusiastic and engaged at the event, enjoying a pizza buffet donated by Primo's Chicago Pizza as they listened to the competition overview, presented by Office members, students and faculty from the DeptUS and the School, respectively.

To keep the momentum going through the competition, and to provide students with knowledge resources, the School hosted a working lunch and feedback session on the 31^st. Students enjoyed a spread of sandwiches provided by Rapid Transit as they discussed their progress with an array of volunteers from the School, the Office, IDOT and Rapid Transit. Students asked questions, presented challenges they were facing and were able to get direction from a rich mix of individuals, representing the fields of public health, urban planning, bike planning, architecture and many others.

After turning in their submissions on the 5^th of November, students attended a reception and awards ceremony on the 9^th, generously sponsored by SRAM Corporation. A diverse panel made up of leaders in architecture, bike planning, urban design and public health judged the competition entries. The awards event was hosted in the 3100 Gallery of the School, and was attended by Alderman Solis, School faculty, Office members, students, representatives of Rapid Transit, and representatives from SRAM. The competition entries represented a diverse and exciting number of approaches to improving biking at UIC, with the student teams each approaching the challenge in a unique way.

As this semester comes to a close, the Office has been able to reach out to students and engage them in a new way; the design competition was a learning experience for both the Office and the students, and the outcomes have provided a variety of new insights on how bikes can and should work at UIC.

The winning competition entries will be on public display in the Daley Library at the start of next semester, from January 15^thto the 24^th. Please take this great opportunity to see what the creative minds of UIC have come up with!

Warning! Cycling can be addictive.

2012-05-02T16:24:00.000-05:00

UIC Cyclists, from I BIKE UIC on Facebook

"Warning! Cycling can be addictive," cautions Amy Walker in Chapter One of On Bicycles- Fifty ways the New Bike Culture Can Change Your Life, a compilation of fifty short essays on all things bicycle (technical information, travel and safety tips, dressing for the weather, philosophy, advocacy history, economic benefits of bike businesses, and more). Its purpose is to inspire those who are new to cycling or expert, and it succeeds fifty times over.

Albert Einstein’s famous quote about his theory of relativity, “I thought of that while riding my bicycle,” shows that cycling is about more than just speeding around in Spandex. Cycling is for anyone who chooses it, and more and more people are consciously deciding not to travel by car, choosing instead to enjoy the freedom and joy of being outside, self-propelled.

Deciding to use a bicycle as your primary means of transportation is a valid choice for a host of reasons - it’s not just students and messengers anymore. The authors raise legitimate, rational questions about how our culture, landscapes, and funding streams are car-dominated. Obstacles notwithstanding, this book will show you the way to be car-free and happy about it. Pointing out that children, seniors, and families should (but currently cannot) cycle comfortably and safely around their neighborhoods and towns, it details the efforts of many cities, including Chicago, that are making strides in this direction.

Note: studies indicate that slowing traffic increases safety for everyone- cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. And, frankly, many of us - cyclists and drivers - could stand to polish up our manners and demonstrate courtesy. All of our experiences will be more pleasant if we do. On Bicycles shows how biking is very practical for short trips and shopping. Along with all the other health and monetary benefits, biking is FUN and lets you interact with surroundings in a way that cars cannot. As Todd Litman, founder and director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute writes, "A lifestyle that includes plenty of cycling can make you healthy, wealthy, and free." Emphasis on free.

Call for Clean Energy Challenge UIC team members - $100,000 prize

2011-11-03T09:38:00.000-05:00

With support from Professor George Crabtree and the Office of Sustainability, students at UIC will be preparing an application for the Clean Energy Challenge, a competition involving solutions using renewable energy and offering a $100,000 prize. This team will explore and develop the concept of a "Green Bus Stop," and will require a diverse team of students with skills and interests that include:

Forming a business plan and conducting market analysis
Designing architectural elements using urban design best practices
Creating a safe, secure place that is engineered to use renewable energy
Documenting and promoting the entire project in a 3-minute video pitch

Much preliminary work has already begun, and the team should submit their proposal by December 5, 2011.

Potential team members could be upper-level undergraduate students or Master's degree candidates.

To express an interest in joining the team, send a resume and letter of interest to baghab2@uic.edu before November 10th; please include "UIC Green Bus Stop" in the subject of the message.

For more information about the Clean Energy Challenge, see http://www.cleanenergytrust.org/events/about-the-challenge/

UIC iCarpool's Potential Impact

2011-10-28T14:05:00.000-05:00

I have a variety of titles - a UIC commuter student, Office of Sustainability intern, Vice President of the Undergraduate Student Government, to name a few - with all combined, I can realize the huge impact that this new service that UIC started this week:

The UIC Office of Sustainability and the Commuter Student Resource Center (CSRC) have introduced together a new service this week - UIC iCarpool.
Through the OS and CSRC, UIC has partnered with iCarpool, an online ride-matching service, to bring a new transportation program that helps you find ride sharing opportunities within the school community. This partnership has been made as part of the Office of Sustainability's ongoing efforts to be a more sustainable institution by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It has also been made because of the CSRC's desire to provide faculty, staff, and students with more convenient and affordable transportation options.
Fact: By carpooling instead of driving alone, participants can save 50% or more on travel and vehicle expenses, improve outdoor air quality, and reduce green house gas emissions by 3,000 lbs per year. The EPA estimates that this is the equivalent amount of carbon sequestered by 33 seedlings grown for 10 years!

Its refreshing to see that two different departments in our school have come together to start a service that compliments both of their missions. UIC iCarpool can be hugely successful if utilized by the UIC community. If the 85% commuter population (excluding the huge amount of faculty and staff) uses this new service in place, it will allow UIC to play a bigger part in being sustainable and will allow commuter students to find cheaper and easier ways of traveling by carpooling. There is no loss by using this service.

I strongly urge every commuter, faculty, and staff to take advantage of the new UIC iCarpool service. The process is simple - register here and set up a profile using your @uic.edu or @illinois.edu account. Check the site frequently to see if new matches are present as membership increases. Plus, if you sign up and use the ride matching or trip logging function by November 15, you will be registered for a chance to win $50 gift cards to the UIC Bookstore. Who knows, you may even be carpooling with me!

For more information about iCarpool, please contact icarpool@uic.edu or call 312-413-7440

Google Commuting: Inspiration and Implementation for UIC?

2011-10-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Google, one of the leading and innovative companies out in the field right now, has once again showed us all how to make life more efficient.

The company, like every other, has a lot of people who travel far from home to work. What sets Google apart from those other companies, though, is that they have made the extra effort to provide and encourage other means of transportation.

The GBus is basically a modern-day school bus system for all employees to utilize to get to their beloved job. The bus is decked out with coach-like bus seats and even has internet availability for the working multi-taskers. (Check out the video below for a visual explanation)

In addition to the shuttle system, the company has electric car plug-ins in their parking lots and has some employees that travel by pogo sticks, kayaks or bicycles. The company claims to have removed 7,000 one-way car trips a day and has saved more than 5, 400 metric tons of CO2 in a year.

Google's companies are in slightly warmer climates compared to the winter haven that is known as the University of Illinois at Chicago. But Google's implementation of the services that encourage sustainability is sure a model that UIC can follow.

Since about 85% of our student population are commuters, would it be bright to implement a school bus-like service to campus? We have commuter shuttles and buses, but are they really that efficient compared to Google's implementation?

I'm sure money is a very big factor in terms of obtaining more efficient bus systems, seeing as Google is a very profitable company and UIC is still owed money by the state of Illinois. However, it would be nice to direct funds to a more efficient commuter shuttle system that would be beneficial for students commuters and our environment. And hey, maybe we can even try to get internet access for those surely busy commuter students. Just a thought.

How does Google's advancements inspire you and how could UIC implement something like the company does? Share your thoughts in the comments section, we'd love to hear from you.

Video of Pedestrian-Bike-Car Conflicts

2011-06-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

Check out this video, "3-way Street," looking at the dangerous interactions between cars, bicycles, and pedestrians at one busy New York City intersection.

3-Way Street from ronconcocacola on Vimeo.

New York drivers are notoriously nuts, and the same probably goes for cyclists and pedestrians, but this issue is not uncommon in all major cities - including Chicago.

With the Bike Commuter Challenge starting in Chicago on June 11, we hope everyone - cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers - obeys all the traffic laws and plays safe out there!

Resources for Commuter Students

2011-04-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

Article by: Tori Choi

Noel Sierra cursed as the Toyota Camry cruising down from the opposite end of the street slipped into the parking spot just meters away from him. He glanced at his dashboard clock—8:07 a.m.. He was late to class for the second time that week. Still he clicked on his turn signal and began his fourth circuit around the block. This is sixth-year UIC student Sierra’s daily ritual hunt for a free parking spot near UIC’s campus.

It usually takes him 20 to 30 minutes to find a free spot but it beats paying $328 for a fall parking permit. Sometimes he will give up early and simply park in the pay-lot or by a meter. But if his class runs late and he doesn’t make it back on time to extend his parking time, he can look forward to a $10 fine, courtesy of UIC police. And Noel sometimes doesn’t pay since living on a $5000 grant to pay for his tuition, books and living expenses can leave him running around with empty pockets for the last few weeks of the semester. “The police haven’t really enforced the payments, but I bet they’re just piling up somewhere and come graduation, they’re going to tell me I can’t graduate,” Sierra said dryly. Even that prospect, however, doesn’t change his routine.

Any student who doesn’t live in campus housing qualifies as a commuter. That means that of the 27,000 total student population, only 3,500 of which live in campus housing, 85 percent of students are commuters who face problems similar to Sierra’s, such as parking fees, running late to class, running to catch the bus or train, having no comfortable place to rest in between classes while being on campus all day, and being unable to participate in campus activities or clubs.

UIC, however, has not left its commuter students high and dry. Since the fall of this year, the Commuter Student Resource Center has been operating in its current location in Student Center East, tucked behind the Wellness Center, and has been a heavy presence in freshman and transfer student orientations. Part of its mission, according to Assistant Director James G. Stewart, is “to act as a support network to provide programming and connections like you could get if you live in a residence hall, since you’d have a Residential Adviser.”

Open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Commuter Advisers in the CSRC can help students plan the most efficient and cost-saving methods of travel. The center also offers a lounge space filled with armchairs and sofas for students to come in and relax in between classes. If students need to cram for a test or complete homework, they can use the study spaces, which consist of individual desks, computers with printer and internet, and private cubicles for group study sessions. For students who want to save money and pack their lunch, there’s a free kitchen with microwaves, a sink, and a public refrigerator and freezer. “Food snatchers haven’t been a problem,” said Kristen Scally, graduate assistant in the CSRC.

Of the 300 to 500 students who currently frequent the CSRC, most trek in and out throughout the day for the free lockers and showers. The CSRC provides about 600 lockers and their own locks for free on a first-come-first-serve basis for signup on the first day of class each semester. The only downside is that lockers are only accessible during the center’s open hours. “But most students don’t have problem with the 6 p.m. thing,” Stewart said. In addition to a Multipurpose Room that can be reserved for special events and private Lactation Rooms for breast-feeding mothers, the CSRC facilitates numerous transportation services.

The center’s website hosts links to nifty tools and resources, such as CTA-Bus Tracker, Google Trip Planner, UIC Intercampus Shuttle Bus, and Metra maps and schedule. The site also provides links to services such as PACE Rideshare, a car-sharing program, PACE Vanpool, a van-sharing rental program, and Carpool Connections, the CSRC’s own car-share program. The last is still in its infancy as it requires students to manually submit applications and information about their commute, which can change depending on class schedules every semester.

The CSRC also plans numerous other events, such as resume, interview, safety and biking workshops, along with events for Earth Month this April in conjunction with the Office of Sustainability. Although students may wonder what “going green” and being environmentally friendly has to do with commuter services, the Office of Sustainability plays a large role in transportation initiatives throughout UIC.

Originally, the Office of Sustainability’s transportations initiatives arose from its efforts to decrease UIC’s level of green house gas emissions, 13-14 percent of which is due to buses and cars. The Travel Survey done in 2008 by the department garnered a response from approximately 2,300 students and revealed that 50 percent of students utilized public transit (trains, buses), 20 percent walked or biked, 22.5 percent drove alone, and 3 percent carpooled. This past month, the Office of Sustainability did another Travel Survey, which revealed students’ desire for secure bike parking, as parking bikes in buildings is forbidden and parking bikes outside often leads to stolen property or, at the very least, exposure to rain and snow. Therefore the Office of Sustainability has been focusing on biking initiatives this year.

Students may have noticed futuristic bike racks with large metal towers and mounted solar panels being set up around campus, one of which is located on the street side entrance of Student Center East. They’re part of a biking program the Auxilliary Services has been negotiating with B-Cycle, which allows students to rent bikes on an hourly basis. Besides the biking program it’s negotiating with B-Cyle, the Office of Sustainability also making its own biking program using abandoned bikes that the Campus Police collect.

“Sometimes when someone steals your bike, if it’s a nice bike, they’ll leave a crappier bike in its place,” Cynthia Klein-Banai, Associate Chancellor of the Office of Sustainability said with a laugh. “So there are basically abandoned bikes that are not locked or anything and the police will rescue, work on getting them fixed up and offer them to the students on a rental basis, which is a much lower cost program than the other.”

So students who didn’t have a way around UIC without power walking will have easier and affordable access to bikes, and if they work up a sweat they can simply hop over to the CSRC for a shower, a bite to eat, and a comfortable lounge on a sofa. If biking isn’t appealing, students have many other options open to them through the services available through the CSRC and Office of Sustainability. The alternatives may not give commuter students the perfect commuting experience, but they would certainly make it easier on students’ time and wallets and beat driving around the block for 30 minutes every morning.

“I didn’t know there was stuff like this on campus,” Sierra said. “I’ll definitely check it out now that I do know.” Now all Sierra needs to do is pay his parking fines and he’ll be set.

For Links and Resource Information:

Commuter Student Resource Center:
Location: Suite 245 in Student Center East, behind the Wellness Center
Open: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: http://www.uic.edu/depts/commuter/

Office Of Sustainability:
Website: http://www.uic.edu/sustainability/
Blog: http://blog.sustainability.uic.edu/

Earth Month: Bike Registration

2011-04-11T16:29:00.000-05:00

Throughout Earth Month at UIC, the UIC police are hosting a series of bike workshops. Half of the workshops are mainly for bike registration and resources with the UIC Police and half host an outside local Chicago bike shop to provide students with maintenance and cycling tips.

Today's registration workshop was hosted at the Student Recreational Facility on East Campus. Officers Hasan and Canizales welcomed students to register their bicycles by having them fill out a form with the bicycles serial number and then applied a registration sticker on the bike. For five years the bike will be on file with the UIC Police to assist tracking and bettering the opportunity of returning a stolen bike to it's owner.

Just as importantly, the Officers informed students on the importance of investing in a quality U-lock. They provided abandon, broken locks that were the remains of where someone's bike once was before it was stolen. Cheap locks, as in cables and $15 U-locks are simple for someone "shopping", or stealing, to cut through or even bust open.

Along with a lock, bike placement has been proven to reduce the number of bikes stolen on campus. The officers suggest avoiding to lock a bike under the tunnel of SEL, at SES, CUPPA Hall, under the Daley Library overhang and on the outer sides of the Lecture Centers. These areas are not well lit, hidden and have bad or no camera security. High populated, well lit areas are the best places to lock a bicycle, along with varying the location often. A "shopper" knows his work, and can track the routine of his potential steals.

The remaining Bike Workshops are:
April 13th, 11am-1pm: SRH featuring Rapid Transit
April 18th, 11am-1pm: College of Pharmacy featuring Kozy's
April 20th 11am-3pm: College of Pharmacy
April 26th 11am-3pm: BSB
April 28th 11am-1pm: SCE featuring Rapid Transit

For more information and the complete list of Earth Months events, visit the Office of Sustainability events page!

Chicago B-cycle Encourages Students and Commuters to Bike

2011-03-18T16:57:00.002-05:00

CHICAGO – March 17th, 2011 – B-cycle is helping University of Illinois at Chicago students and commuters increase their daily activity and reduce carbon emissions with a University bike-sharing program. Chicago B-cycle will launch with 100 bicycles at six B-stations around the UIC Campus, offering a green alternative to cars for short commutes and errands. The bikes will be available March 21^st through May 6^th, 2011. Locations include: Student Center East, Student Center West, UIC Hermitage Mall, James Stukel Towers, and the UIC Student Services Building. Connection to the Chicago lakefront is made with a B-cycle station at Museum Campus as well as virtual check-in stations at Millennium Park. To check out bikes, students, faculty, and the public can register at www.chicagobcycle.com or just use a credit card at the B-stations. The cost is $25 per semester, the first 2 hours of each trip are included, but if you use the bike longer than 2 hours it will cost an additional $2.50 per half hour.

The UIC Bike Sharing project was inspired by Mayor Daley’s request to get the university campuses in Chicago networked with bike share kiosks. Bike and Roll Chicago, the operator of Chicago B-cycle, is sponsoring the UIC program. Josh Squire, the Executive Director of Chicago B-cycle: “this is another step to make Chicago even more bike friendly...we hope Mayor Elect Rahm Emanuel continues Mayor Daley’s vision and completes the task of creating a citywide Bike-sharing transit system.”

“Bike-sharing was created for the commuter whose transit stop is two miles from the office, the urbanite running errands, and for students to get across campus quickly,” explained Bob Burns, president of B-cycle.

“By providing bike sharing kiosks on campus, B-cycle will enable students, faculty and staff to reduce the number of car trips for university purposes,” said Cindy Klein-Banai, Associate Chancellor for Sustainability at UIC. “This helps meet one of our Climate Action Plan’s goals of providing greater transit options, which will reduce the university’s carbon emissions.”

Bike-Sharing Gains Speed in the U.S.

First popularized in European cities such as Paris, Barcelona, and London, bike-sharing is quickly expanding around the globe and across the U.S. New York City, Boston, San Antonio, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale plan to join Denver, DC, and Minneapolis with large scale bike share programs in 2011-12.

About Bike and Roll

Chicago B-cycle is operated by Bike and Roll Chicago. Bike and Roll Chicago was founded in 1993 and operates ten lakefront bicycle rental and tour locations in the city. The company is a managing partner of Bike and Roll, a national network of bike rental and tour companies with additional locations in Chicago, Miami, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

For additional information contact: info@chicagobikesharing.com or call 773-230-4422, www.chicagobcycle.com

Help Active Trans win up to $25K

2011-03-11T11:59:00.000-06:00

Give our Bike to Work Week program a boost

Active Trans is competing to receive a donation of up to $25,000 from Chicago Whole Foods Markets and we need your help!
If we win, we will use the donation for a bigger celebration with more giveaways and bike love during Bike to Work Week.
Head over to any of the five Whole Foods Market Chicago locations and ask for a Chicago Green Giveaway ballot from your cashier (no purchase is necessary).
You may vote whenever you visit a store through March 23. Please stop by one of the stores listed below, and let your friends know they should also vote for Active Transportation Alliance!There’s no limit on how many times you vote—so vote early and vote often!

Please vote for us at Chicago Whole Foods Market locations!

Gold Coast—30 W. Huron St
Halstead & Waveland—3640 N. Halsted St.
Lakeview—3300 N. Ashland Ave.
Lincoln Park—1550 N. Kingsbury St.
South Loop—1101 S. Canal St.

Sincerely,
All of us at Active Trans

Active Transportation Alliance
312.427.3325
www.activetrans.org

Active Transport Biking Tips

2011-02-21T11:28:00.000-06:00

Jason from Active Transport Alliance came to the SCE Commuter Resource Center to give students an overview of how to correctly prepare themselves to ride in Chicago and the rules of the road bicycle-riders must follow.

He began by explaining how bicycles have the same rules as any other vehicle on the road, vehicular riding. When riding the two most important things to remember is to be visible and predictable.

Be visible:

Wearing clothing that has bright and visible colors.
Wear reflectors on you and the bike.

You can purchase reflective vest and/or stickers to apply to your clothing.

It is a Chicago law to have a front white and back red light when riding at night.

Jason warned the crowd to be sure to remove your lights when locking up so they do not get stolen and, in addition, that you can never have too many lights on your bike!

Although helmets are not a law, they are strongly recommended to prevent injuries when riding:

A proven 85% of head injuries could have prevented if the riders had been wearing helmets.
Never buy a used helmet.

Find a helmet from a reputable source, certified with with a CPSC sticker.

Adjusting:

Eyes: you should be able to see the rim of the helmet when looking up.
Ears: adjust your straps so the buckle is directly under your ear. This prevents the helmet from moving in the occurrence of a fall.
Mouth: you should only allow one to two fingers to fit between your chin and the helmet strap.
Inner fittings: there is a dial on the back of your helmet you can freely adjust.

Life Span:

"One crash, it's trash," helmets can lose their ability to absorb shock after accidents.
Use best judgement to analyze the wear and tear of the styrofoam and plastic materials.

Before each ride, people should quickly check their bikes for pieces out of place.

A is for Air

Tires should feel as firm as a fully inflated basketball.
Fill your tires to the maximum PSI to allow for leakage.
Under-inflated tires are dangerous because they could roll when.

B is for Breaks

Apply breaks, moving your bike forward and backward to check for stability.

C is for Chain

Check for rust and lubrication.
A chain is an inexpensive part compared to the parts it effects, if your chain is not in good condition do not risk the further damages!

It is important to make sure your bike fits your body. When standing over your bike, the highest point of the bar should be two inches away from making contact with your body.

He left us with a few helpful tips to avoid getting your bicycle stolen:

Use a U-lock: secure it between the tires and through on of the 3 main bicycle frame tubes.
Change locations of where you lock your bicycle and try not to leave it anywhere over night.
Less attractive bicycles are less likely to be stolen.
Register your bicycle with the Chicago Police.

Volunteer at the Chicago Cycle Swap!!

2011-02-11T14:01:00.000-06:00

Active Transport is a huge supporter of UIC cyclists! Why not get more involved and give them some of your time Saturday, February 26th?

Help is needed on Feb 26 at the Chicago Cycle Swap presented by Active Transportation Alliance and benefiting Bike Winter, taking place at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse near Blackhawk and Ashland.
Please drop a line to ho.ardbikes (at) gmail.com or post here if you're willing to help out and whether your preference is for earlier or later in the day, or if one of the specific shifts/assignments below catches your fancy.

In case it doesn't go without saying, you get free admission to the event (saving $5 !!!)

Here are the specific needs (need 2-4 volunteers for most slots):

Friday night setup (Feb 25)- 5:30-9 PM

(everything below is Sat 2/26):

Participant/attendee check-in table
9:30 AM-1:30 PM
12:30pm-4:30 PM

Vendor/exhibitor check-in table:
7 AM- 11 AM

Active Trans/membership table:
9:30 AM-1:30 PM
1:30 PM-5 PM

Bike Winter Table:
9:30-1:30
1:30-5

Volunteer check-in table:
7-10 AM
10-2

Bike Corral:
7:30-12
12-5:30

Presentation support:
9AM-1PM
1-5

Food Service Support:
9-1
1-5

Vendor/merchant load-in support:
7-10 AM

Vendor/merchant load-out support:
5-7 PM

Room steward/security/floater:
8AM-1PM
1PM-6PM

If this interests you, volunteer and take some pictures! E-mail them to akuhn07@gmail.com!

Volunteer with Working Bikes

2011-02-09T16:54:00.000-06:00

Working Bikes Cooperative, located on Western Avenue, is a non-profit volunteer based organization that diverts bicycles from the waste stream in the greater Chicagoland area & surrounding states. They repair some bikes for local donation and sale to assist funding the overseas shipment & donation the remaining bicycles.

Receiving no government funding, Working Bikes acquires profit through the bicycles they sell at store front. With the money raised, they send bikes to charity organizations in countries on the Gulf Coast and Ghana, Tanzania, Angola, Cuba, Guatemala, and Peru. Providing individuals in these regions with bicycles can mean the difference of work and unemployment.

How can you help?

As a volunteer-based organization, Working Bikes can use volunteers with a vast array of skills.

Mechanics:
The bicycles received must be put in working order; the demand for their bikes far exceeds their ability to repair them. Working Bikes is in urgent need of people to increase the rate at which we can repair bicycles.

They can utilize mechanics of all skill levels. If you only know how to repair tires we can use you. Simply go to or call the store during business hours and let a volunteer or staff member know that you wish to volunteer.

Storefront operations:

Working Bikes needs people at the store for daily preparations including: bringing bikes to and from the warehouse, assisting customers in finding a bike and fitting and performing final adjustments on bikes for customers.

If interested you can follow the same procedure as for mechanics: go to the store during business hours and talk with the volunteers and staff working there.

Shipping Parties and other events:

Shipping more than 5,000 bicycles to places in need (for more information, see About Working Bikes), Working Bikes needs volunteers to ready bicycles for shipping and load into the containers. To do this work, they hold shipping parties which are announced on our mailing list and on the Working Bikes website. If you wish to participate simply show up at the announced time and lend a hand. No technical skills are required.

Other events are also announced on the mailing list and website that volunteers are encouraged to attend. Please check the specifics in the announcements to see what is required.

Benefits!
Besides the good feeling of volunteering to help Internationally and locally, volunteers are served free lunch!

2434 S. Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60608
312-421-5048 (donations, volunteering)
312-371-4286 from 9 to 5 Mon - Sat.

Email donations@workingbikes.org.

Travel Survey

2011-01-21T14:25:00.003-06:00

The Office of Sustainability has created a Travel Survey for UIC students, faculty and staff to take. In this survey, we ask individuals to tell us how far they travel to campus, how often and mode of transportation they use. We will use this information to further track our emissions as a University.

Access the survey here.

Our goal is to reach 20% of the student body (est. 5249), faculty (est. 514) and staff (est. 1788).

Become a Zipster at a discount!

2011-01-07T10:38:00.003-06:00

UIC has signed on with Zipcar to provide an occasional driving plan to students at a discounted rate!

Students who join Zipcar with begin saving immediately because they are free of any initial membership fee. By avoiding the $60 fee, students will only pay an annual fee of $25. When signing up with your UIC E-mail, there are no monthly commitments or deposits that have to be made. Just the annual fee of $25 plus individual driving costs!

Depending on the car model, students will be charged from $7 /hour and $68 /day (any 24-hour period) on Mondays through Thursdays and $7 /hour and $73 /day on Fridays through Sundays.

Included in these costs are gas, insurance and180 FREE miles!

Zipcar helps the campus by reducing congestion in University parking lots, reduces our carbon footprints as a sustainable alternative transportation solution, eliminates the costs of gas and insurance, includes programs for faculty and staff, and possess a simple application process. Students receive self-service access to cars 24/7, low rates hourly or daily, the ability to reserve zipcars in seconds online, cars located right on campus, and a way to help the environment!

CNT's Sustainability Agenda 2011

2011-01-07T10:36:00.000-06:00

The Center for Neighborhood Technology’s 2011 Mayoral & City Council Agenda for Sustainable Development was released on December 22, 2010. The 22 priority agenda was created as guide for Chicago's next mayor to use to create a stronger economy and ensure Chicago remains one of the top prosperous and sustainable cities in the US.

CNT noted that Chicago's unrealized potential when it comes to increasing productivity of its urban economy is present because the city is not investing enough in assets that make organizations run more cheaply and efficiently. CNT’s four overall strategies will bring help Chicago realize these potentials enabling us to further our sustainable development. They are:

Energy

Ramp up energy conservation with efficiency retrofits of the city's buildings and other cost- and energy-saving measures.
This can be reached by retrofitting more housing units each year, demanding energy usage disclosures in building leases, and using less energy during peak periods.

Transportation

Improve transportation alternatives, encourage development around transit, and champion Chicago's rail assets so people and products can travel affordabley.
This can be reached by finding new innovative ways to create funding for alternative transportation, secure a higher percentage of funds from the state, ensure higher costs for drivers, and create public transit incentives.

Stormwater Management

Strengthen benchmarks and incentives to encourage value-enhancing green infrastructure to manage stormwater and avoid costly flooding to private property.
This can be done by creating incentives for property owners to use green infrastructure, strengthen stormwater ordinances and policies, and devise a city retrofitting plan.

Climate Change

Reduce climate change emissions by pursuing the above strategies and implementing low-carbon, low-cost goals for municipal operations.
This can be done by implementing the Chicago Climate Action Plan, making energy efficiency Chicago's highest priority, adapt to climate change with stormwater management, set a zero waste emissions goal, and institute low-carbon municipal operations.

CNT's has created this agenda based on the belief that sustainable development is economical development. Putting their strategies into play will increase job creation, increase Chicago resident's income, protect the environment, give Chicago companies a competitive advantage, and save the city a lot of money.

View all 22 priorities here.

Chicago has the opportunity to become the most productive city to live and work in the United States. As we begin to champion these priorities, innovation and leadership will emerge from Chicago.

This reminds me of The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken; he speaks about how sustainable development is innovation. Creating products and jobs through sustainable guidelines will create jobs and modify those jobs that would be eliminated by more efficient operations. By the elimination of externalizing costs and the implementation of green fees or the like, companies will be enticed into looking at alternative, more cost effective ways to operate.

It will be interesting to see how the new mayor reacts to the agenda.
Will the notion of already having a set guide/agenda make the mayor more likely to embrace Climate Action in Chicago?

Tips to Avoid Bike Theft

2010-11-18T10:30:00.005-06:00

Officer Zyad Hasan appeared in a recent article about the importance of bicycle registration. This effort will help the number of bicycle robberies on campus, and even around Chicago. UIC has already had 73 reported bicycle robberies this year compared to the total 78 of 2009.
In the article, he explains the importance and benefits of having a good lock. The best locks are the high-quality U-locks, heavy duty chains, and skewers (used by inserting through the wheel hub. Some locks have such a high dependence that the producer will give you money is your bicycle is stolen while using one.

To improve the chances of getting your bike back, register it online with the UIC Police Department. Registration is free and good for five years. For $10, you can sign up for 10 years with the National Bike Registry. The most important information to register is the bike’s serial number. It also helps to note “something unique on your bike — a scratch on the frame, a sticker that says so-and-so on the handlebar,” Hasan said.

Recently a student reported to UIC Police he’d found his stolen bicycle chained in front of a drugstore. The responding officer told him he needed the serial number. “He called his mother,” Hasan said. “She had the receipt and it had the serial number on it. She faxed us the receipt.” He got his bike back.

-Gary Wisby, UIC News
http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=14783

Riding the train can save a bundle

2010-10-21T14:11:00.000-05:00

Riding the train can save a bundle :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Transportation
October 18, 2010

If Metra passengers are driving each other crazy with their cell phones, at least everyone's saving gas. A report by Environment Illinois found that Chicago area commuters saved 34.8 million gallons of gasoline by riding Metra trains in 2008, the amount of fuel consumed by more than 61,000 cars per year. The report also found that Chicago area residents who use transit can save as much as $11,611 per year by avoiding the cost of vehicle ownership, parking and fuel.Environment Illinois encouraged U.S. and state legislatures to consider policies that advance public transit systems and increase the proportion of state and federal funding sent to Metra and other public transit systems.

While reading through the report, it states that transportation is two-thirds of all our oil consumption. By taking the Metra, 100 passengers can fit in one car compared to just one or two in an automobile reducing the amount of carbon emissions per person significantly. Also, the Electric District is a line of electric-run cars that further reduce oil consumption.

The metra helps create compact communities by offering stops in small communities that allow them a short trip to the city without an automobile. These communities have shops, parks, and other services all within walking distance. People here can enjoy residing in a small community while still being able to access the city.

When it comes to spending dollars, tickets for the metra are cheaper and less time consuming to purchase than driving to the city in traffic, finding a spot to park, and paying the enormous parking fees. The report states:
"Investing in transit creates jobs. In the year since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, investments in transit and rail have created more than twice as many jobs per federal dollar invested than comparable investments in new road projects. Investment in projects like Metra creates high quality, green jobs."

For further interest in transportation check out the Create Program! A partnership between U.S. DOT, the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak, and the nation's freight railroads.
http://www.createprogram.org/

Chicago Vanpool Riders Wanted!

2010-10-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

A group of Jesse Brown VA Medical Center employees are looking for commuters to join their Pace Vanpool Monday - Friday. The first pick-up location is located at 76th and Ashland Street, Chicago at 7:15 am. The van would continue north on Ashland and arrive at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center around 8:00 am. The driver is open to making stops along the way.

For the return trip, the van will leave from in front of the VA Hospital on 820 S. Damen Ave at approximately 4:45 pm traveling primarily down Ashland, and arriving at the 63rd Ashland El station by 5:30 pm.

Anyone interested in participating can connect with this group by registering on www.PaceRideShare.com and selecting the intersection of 76th and Ashland Street, Chicago as your starting location. Please feel free to email Kim Koy at kim.koy@pacebus.com, if you have any questions or need assistance with the website.

Walk, Pedal, Ride: Sustainability Week

2010-09-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

The Office of Sustainability hosted the Active Transportation Fair to teach students and faculty more about bicycling and public transportation options on campus and in the Chicago region. Exhibitors included the Active Transportation Alliance, the Commuter Student Resource Center, Rapid Transit Cycleshop, ZipCar, I-Go, CTA, Mayor Daley’s Bike Ambassadors, and the Office of Sustainability.

At the Active Transportation Fair, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) brought along bike maps and CTA bus and El maps to give out to students. They also brought along a bike carrier that is connected to the front of CTA buses to teach riders how to put their bicycles on the bus when they are traveling.

For all of those who weren't aware, including myself, the CTA has a strong green initiative throughout the entire corporation. By just existing, they replace the equivalent of over 400,000 cars on the Chicago roads each day. They now own over 200 hybrid buses, reducing emissions and contributing to the Climate Action Plan. By using public transit, individuals greatly reduce our carbon footprints too. Check out how much with the Carbon Saving Calculator!

There is more- the CTA is bicycle friendly, providing bicycle parking at every El location and allowing bicycles on buses during operating hours and on the El trains all hours except 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm. The CTA also works closely with I-Go, providing parking spaces for shared cars, collaborating to provide the Chicago Card Plus/I-Go Card that users can purchase to access car-sharing time and CTA rides.

The CTA headquarters received it's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification in 2007, and also received the Energy Star label from 2005-2009. CTA stops use florescent lighting, provide recycling bins, and have two green roofs (one ontop of the CTA headquarters and one on the Clifton Red Line stop). Realizing how much the CTA cares about the environment, it will make me think twice about complaining the next time I wait 10 minutes for the train!

After the Active Transportation Fair, coincidentally, I spotted an I-GO car in the parking lot of Pete's Fresh Market in Pilsen! Still, car sharing is also a new idea to me.From the Zipcar Website, I learned that a shared car takes about 20 cars off the road and members save an estimated $500 a month in comparison to car ownership. You can become a member online and reserve your car within seconds! Once you become a member and reserve a car you just walk up to it and hold your zipcard up to the window and it unlocks! The more I read into this the more I am wanting to try it! With an annual fee of $60 and hourly and daily costs around $7 and $70, it definitely would be cheaper than paying $200.00 a month for my car payment.

The Bicycling Ambassadors are the bicycle-safety and public outreach team of Chicago. At their booth they had many pamphlets of tips and better yet, two ambassadors were present to give their knowledgeable advice. I learned that I can take up the entire lane when trying to be courteous of drivers going passed when I am riding down that tight, rocky side line on Taylor between Morgan and Halsted to the gym in the morning- that is a relief!

Oddly enough, this week is Commuter Appreciation Week through the Commuter Student Resource Center. As I was checking out their Website, they provide CTA alerts and even the weather! At the Active Transportation Fair, they solicited the center and promoted their assistance to help students on their commute.

A fun and educational end to Sustainability Week 2010!