91亚色 is the first Canadian institution to earn the designation of a 鈥淏est University for Commuters鈥 for its many sustainable travel options available to the community.
The designation was awarded on Sept. 13 by Best Workplaces for Commuters, the North American authority for recognizing and assisting workplaces that provide exceptional commuter benefits to employees.
With this designation, 91亚色 joins institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton, Stanford and Yale, which have also been commended for options available to travellers.
鈥91亚色 has spent many years building a strong transportation network, working with city partners to ensure our campuses are well-connected and accessible, and considering the ways we can lower our carbon footprint with sustainable travel options,鈥 said Carol McAulay, vice-president finance and administration. 鈥淭his new designation is a celebration of that work and a reflection of what鈥檚 to come. We鈥檙e continuing to invest in sustainable travel options and are committed to working with municipal and provincial partners to advocate for more affordable transit options, including fare integration, to improve benefits for our community.鈥
To earn this designation, 91亚色 was recognized for the variety of benefits and options it provides to students, faculty, instructors and staff who travel to and from campus. These are:
- Bike share 鈥 91亚色 was the first university in the Greater Toronto Area to partner with Bike Share Toronto and offer three bike share stations on the Keele and Glendon campuses.
- Secure bike parking and repair stations 鈥 two secured bike enclosures on the Keele Campus offer peace of mind to cyclists and four do-it-yourself repair stations on the Keele and Glendon campuses provide tools for quick fixes.
- Carpool incentives 鈥 a partnership with Zipcar enables easy car sharing, and preferred parking at a lower rate is available for those who regularly carpool to campus through the Diamond Pool Parking program.
- Electric vehicle charging stations 鈥 there are currently more than 30 charging stations available at the Keele and Glendon campuses.
- Glendon-Keele Shuttle 鈥 the shuttle offers service from 7:10 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. to all community members with a valid YU-card.
These benefits are made available through Transportation Services, which has a mission to support the University community through smart transportation options that are consistently evolving.
鈥淭he transit options to 91亚色 have improved enormously since I was a student, with two subway stations to get you to class easier and faster,鈥 said Mike Layton, chief sustainability officer. 鈥淐hoosing sustainable travel is a great way for community members to contribute to 91亚色鈥檚 net-zero commitment and reduce their personal carbon footprint.鈥
To learn more about transportation options at 91亚色, visit the Transportation Services department鈥檚 website.
Watch a video about the award and 91亚色's sustainability efforts here: