UCLA Transportation produces an annual State of the Commute report highlighting the University’s efforts to maintain sustainable transportation programs, analyze recent commute trends, and highlight notable achievements such as reducing the UCLA employee drive-alone rate to under 50%.
By Mike King, UCLA Transportation
UCLA student, staff and faculty bicyclists gathered around the new bike counter on Strathmore Place.
UCLA Transportation is proud to present the campus’ first automated bike counter.The bike counter is located on the southern side of Strathmore Place next to the green bike lane. The counter displays the number of daily bicyclists and annual bicyclists who pass it. Similar bike counters have been installed in bike-friendly cities such as Portland, Orgeon;Seattle, Washington; and Copenhagen, Denmark.
(from the left) Dr. Michael S. Goldstein, Professor, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Associate Vice Provost, Healthy Campus Initiateve; Renée Fortier, Executive Director, UCLA Events & Transportation; Professor Donald Shoup, UCLA School of Public Affairs-Urban Planning
The counter is one of many bike infrastructure improvements that are intended to make UCLA a more bike-friendly campus. UCLA is proud to be the first in Los Angeles to install an automated bike counter. While the Counter provides real-time ridership information, it also serves as a welcoming gateway sign and bicyclists can see that they’re part of a larger community.
The Counter was manufactured by Eco Counter. Eco Counter is an international company that specializes in pedestrian and bike counting systems. The counter was funded by The Green Initiative Fund and UCLA Transportation. Beginning November 25, 2013, data from the Strathmore Bike Counter will be available to the public here: http://ucla-strathmore-bike-counter.visio-tools.com.
Ride down UCLA’s green bike lane on Strathmore and get counted!
~Re-posted from UCLA Transportation’s Be a Green Commuter website
Did you know that UCLA was just rated one of the top green campuses in the nation?
If you’re looking for a way to make a difference on campus and in the world, there are a million ways to contribute here on campus. You’re only limited by your imagination.
How many college students can say that they can both enjoy the warm sunlight and use that sunlight to charge their computer at the same time? No, really! We have tables with solar panel umbrellas and outlets! Walk inside, and our student union even has solar panels on the roof!
We also have farmers markets right on campus three times a quarter! Fresh, local, organic food in the middle of your walk to class.
Furthermore, UCLA will be zero waste by 2020. This is impressive, especially because UCLA is the size of a medium sized city. Can you imagine if an entire city became zero waste?
All of these attributes are part of the reason that I am so glad to be a Bruin, a result of the power of undergraduate students to make a difference on campus.
Something that many people don’t know is that student fees include a small amount sectioned off for green initiatives (The Green Initiative Fund). Six bucks a quarter, but this really adds up! And all this money is just waiting for undergraduate students to apply and use for improving the sustainability on campus.
I have been lucky to be involved with E3: Ecology, Economy, Equity – the largest sustainability group on campus. Our work is rooted in the three E’s of sustainability:
1. Ecology
2. Economy
3. Equity
We have a group of awesome student leaders who are willing to sacrifice their GPAs and sleep, spending all of their energy on making UCLA a leader in sustainability and exciting other students about being eco-friendly.
One of our biggest recent accomplishments was putting on the first ever bike-powered concert at UCLA last year, Ecochella, featuring student bands, bike powered ice cream, smoothies and light show! Physically engaging students in generating their own energy is a great way to educate people on alternative energy and awareness of energy consumption in general. Plus, you kill two birds with one stone: physical activity + alternative energy!
Over the years our Earth Day Fair has become such a big event that we had to turn it into “Earth Month”! We feature a green cooking competition, as well as a recycled art competition, and over seventy on- and off-campus groups with tabling and activism relating to sustainability. Throughout the month, we also have speaking panels, farmers markets and more!
We also have a student run organic garden on campus.
As much as we have accomplished, there is still a long ways to go. We are still working on projects related to Fair Trade, energy-free events, gardening on campus, and much more.
I think UCLA has done a great job of becoming a leader in sustainability, and I am very excited and proud to brag to people from other universities about how much we have accomplished. This is my last quarter at UCLA and I am sad to be graduating, but I will be proud to leave UCLA knowing I helped with much of our progress, that I was able to make my mark on UCLA. I am thrilled that freshman will come to UCLA and take for granted farmers markets and Ecochella. These things are staples of the UCLA community as a result of undergraduate initiative.
Meeting the freshman at E3 meetings this quarter has brought me unlimited optimism to see the campus 4 years from now because of the amazing ideas they have to make UCLA more sustainable!
What will you choose to do with your years at UCLA?
~Emily Anderson
Chair of the UCLA Undergraduate Group E3: Ecology, Economy, Equity
1. There are seven miles of bike route on campus.
2. There’s over 3,000 spots to park your bike at UCLA. (Want even more? Send your ideas for bike rack locations to bike-info@ts.ucla.edu.)
3. The UCLA Bike Shop has over 80 bikes available for rent…
4. …including electric bikes, too.
5. Humans aren’t the only ones that ride bikes to UCLA.
6. UCLA is home to Los Angeles’ one and only bike box.
7. UCLA will soon be home to the first automated bicycle counter in Los Angeles…
8. …and the first BikeLink electronic lockers in Los Angeles.
9. Anyone in the UCLA community can use the UCLA Bike Shop’s tools and work stands to fix your own bike for free.
10. More than 2,400 Bruins bike at UCLA…
…and you should, too!
Debra Yoo
Digital Marketing Analyst for UCLA Events & Transportation
The Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA is envisioned and supported by Jane and Terry Semel.
