United States Department of Transportation
i
Consumer Behavior and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at the University of Rhode Island
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2009-12-31
[PDF-1.15 MB]
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Edition:Research Grant Final Report
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Abstract:Of the 16,000 students at the University of Rhode Island, about 55% percent commute to campus. Between students, staff and faculty there could be up to 11,000 commuters at the University, most of which drive alone. A high volume of single-occupancy vehicles traveling to and from campus creates parking issues, traffic congestion on campus and in surrounding communities and greenhouse gas emissions. The goals of this study were to baseline energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from commuting at URI and develop a commuter survey that can be repeated annually to measure any changes in behavior or emissions. Six web-based and four visual surveys conducted between Spring 2006 and Spring 2009 collected data on demographics, commuting characteristics and awareness of and attitudes toward alternative transportation. URI commuters combined emit about 22,700 metric tons CO2 equivalent, travel about 62.5 million miles and consume about 2.5 million gallons of gasoline each year. The majority of commuter trips are made in single-occupancy vehicles. Regular commuting by bus is very low among students, faculty and staff, but occasional bus use is significantly higher among faculty and somewhat higher among students. Carpooling is also low among staff and faculty, and somewhat higher in students, however, vehicle occupancy increased over the survey period. Survey results indicate that large percentages of commuters would respond to incentives and disincentives aimed at reducing emissions from commuting. This study provides a thorough assessment of URI commuting behavior as well as data collection methods that can be conducted annually to monitor changes in commuter behavior as a result of new policies.
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