University
North Transportation Initiative
A Public-Private Partnership
Transportation
Information Service
This newsletter serves to inform, update,
and educate members of the
University North Transportation
Initiative and the public on local mobility issues, projects and developments.
February
2002
Vol.
6 No. 2
USF
Expands Mall Shuttle Service
As the University of South Florida continues to grow, so
does its demand for classroom space. In
an agreement with the University Mall, USF began holding classes in the mall's
theater during the daytime, when it is not used to show movies.
This arrangement, however, had the potential of causing
problems for students who don't drive a vehicle to campus or who prefer not to
move their vehicle once on campus.
USF's Parking and Transportation Services (PATS), which had
been operating a lunchtime mall shuttle from noon to 2pm for some time, has
been able to accommodate the increased demand for service to the mall. PATS has extended the Bull Runner Shuttle's
D-Route so that it now serves Holly residents, the Marshall Center, the medical
area, the University Area Transit Center (UATC), and the University Mall.
The service beings at 7 am, Monday through Friday, and ends
at 9 pm, Monday through Thursday, (5 pm on Fridays). To make this service even more convenient, PATS has added two
more shuttles to the route so that headways remain at about ten minutes.
Bull Runner Shuttle maps are available at the Parking and
Transportation Services Office on Maple and also on PATS' website, http://usfweb.usf.edu/parking_services/shuttle.html. HARTline maps can also be found at both
these locations making it easy take advantage of Route D's stop at the UATC,
which connects riders with HARTline routes servicing much of Hillsborough
County.
CUTR Joins EPA's Commuter Choice Leadership
Initiative
CUTR has agreed to contribute to cutting traffic congestion
and preventing air pollution through the Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative,
a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S.
Department of Transportation. CUTR will
join a nationwide effort of more than 200 employers representing more than
400,000 employees to reduce traffic congestion, air pollution, and fuel
consumption through the provision of commuter benefits.
By becoming a Commuter ChoiceSM Employer, CUTR will preserve
natural resources and help clean the air.
As part of the center's comprehensive commuter benefits program, CUTR
offers commuting options and support services such as telecommuting, compressed
work schedules, secure bicycle parking, shower facilities, and access to the
regional carpool, vanpool, and Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) programs.
According to Margo Oge, EPA director of the Office of Transportation and
Air Quality, the effects of incentive programs like this initiative can be
dramatic. "If just half of all
U.S. employees were covered under these commuter benefits," said Oge,
"traffic and air pollution could be cut by the equivalent of taking 15
million cars off the road every year, saving American workers about $12 billion
in fuel costs. That's both cleaner air
and real savings for families."
"We are proud to make this commitment to our employees and to
solving transportation and environmental problems in Florida," said Edward
Mierzejewski, CUTR Director.
"The Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative demonstrates that some of
the solutions to our transportation and environment problem begin with changes
in policies at the employer-level. Work
hour policies and access to alternatives to driving alone are among the steps
we all can take to help improve and maintain our quality of life in Florida.”
The Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative began in 2000 to address the
impacts of growing traffic congestion and traffic-related pollution across the
country. The initiative was recently
highlighted as part of the Administration's National Energy Plan as an
effective tool to address environmental, energy, traffic congestion, and safety
concerns.
UNTI to Help Area Employers Gain
Commuter ChoiceSM Employer Status
Companies that currently offer a number of commute
alternatives to employees may already qualify under the Commuter Choice
Leadership Initiative standards. The
UNTI is able to help companies determine their eligibility and to develop
appropriate reporting methods required by the EPA.
Companies that are interested in becoming Commuter Choice
employers can request the assistance of UNTI staff, who can help businesses
develop Commuter Choice programs under the guidelines established by the
Leadership Initiative.
For more information, contact the UNTI at 974-9799 or at sobush@cutr.usf.edu
New UNTI Website to Better Serve
Employer and Commuter Needs
The new UNTI website has been completed!
Visit www.commuterservices.com/unti
and see the many changes. The website
is now easier for commuters and employers to use. Current news and event information is now listed on the home page
and many new pages have been added, including:
·
Road
Conditions,
·
Success
Stories, and
·
Direct
access to the regional rideshare agency's Rideshare Registration form.
Employers, you can now read detailed information on tax incentives
that you can offer to employees who use commute alternatives, such as use of
transit, carpooling, and vanpooling.
You can also discover ways to encourage various types of alternative
transportation, as well as methods of incorporating telecommuting programs and
compressed work schedules into your business structure. Finally, read about other companies in the
area that have successfully implemented and greatly benefited from alternative
transportation solutions.
Commuters, find answers to your questions about commute alternatives
and discover the benefits alternatives can offer, including decreased
transportation costs, increased flexibility, reduced stress, and improved
health. Also read about what vanpools
are available along your route to work, learn how the guaranteed ride home
program can assist in case of unexpected emergencies, and register online with
the regional rideshare agency to find a carpool partner.
What is
the UNTI?
The University North
Transportation Initiate (UNTI) is a public-private partnership that provides a
forum to address the transportation needs of the University North Area.
The University North is the name
given to a major destination area in Hillsborough County. It contains a high concentration of
employment and commercial activity where traffic congestion occurs. University North is the area generally bounded
by Busch Boulevard to the south, I-75 to the east, 22nd Street to
the west, and Bruce B. Downs to the north.
The UNTI's main goals are to:
·
Reduce traffic congestion,
·
Improve air quality, and
·
Promote alternative commute modes, such as carpooling, vanpooling,
transit, bicycling, or walking.
·
Located at
the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)
University
of South Florida
4202 E.
Fowler Ave., CUT 100
Tampa,
FL 33620-5375
(813)
974-9799; 974-5168 (fax)
www.commuterservices.com/unti