May 23, 2023 02:42 PM EDT By David Thompson, UniversityHerald Reporter

More people are advocating protecting the environment, and this has extended as far as college campuses. Many campuses provide transportation to their students, and care for the environment has extended to these transportation options. Part of the reason is that any vehicle that isn't considered green can harm the environment. Luckily, there are a few options if you are looking to make your campus more responsible.

Fleet of Electric Vehicles

There are more and more cars that rely completely on electricity instead of gasoline or diesel to run. More gas stations have charging stations for electric or hybrid vehicles, and they can charge relatively quickly. You can find a range of affordable electric vehicles, which means you can easily add them to your fleet for employees to use around campus. It's important to do your research to make sure you are picking the best one. You can learn more about the way these green transportation options can reduce emissions to better protect the environment. Another benefit is that greener transportation can reduce your overall operating costs.

Better Public Transportation

You can encourage students to leave their cars at home by providing better public transportation, both on and around campus. Public transportation has been around for a while, but it is still very relevant for colleges. It just means students can ride together on a shared vehicle if they are leaving from and going to the same location. You could set up stops on commonly used parts of campus, like near the dorms and academic buildings. If there is student housing in the area, consider working with your city to get a few more bus stops in these areas to encourage students to drive less. 

Good planning is imperative when deciding how to set up your transportation schedule. The vehicles need to run often enough to encourage students to use them and not feel like it is inconvenient. However, if you run too many at off hours, they will likely be mostly empty, and then it is inefficient to have them at those times. One option is to run smaller, more efficient vehicles at times when you know there aren't as many students waiting. Make sure the schedule is easy for students to find online.

Getting Around on Their Own Power

Creating ways for students to get around campus on their own power will prevent them from using any resources at all. It's been said that cycling is the best exercise for college students, but even walking is a simple solution and can save money because you won't need to invest in vehicles. You could run a campaign encouraging students to walk to different parts of campus and ensure there are sufficient and direct sidewalks. These should be well-lit, so students feel safe walking around campus after dark too. 

You could also provide hoverboards or bikes at different locations around campus. Bikes are a popular way of traveling more distance in less time, and they will not negatively impact the environment. There are many choices when it comes to this type of low-impact transportation. You could add mopeds or electric scooters to your fleet of vehicles.

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