Transportation: Green on the Go

One of the environmentally friendly aspects of Columba's
dynamic urban setting is the many alternative transportation options like walking, biking, public transportation, car-pooling,
and ride-sharing.

Over 80% of our students, faculty and staff use public transportation, ride their bikes, or walk to get to campus. There is also a significantly reduced need for a campus fleet. The Campus Environment Department has intentionally limited the fleet to only 3 vehicles and 4 Segways, including a hybrid vehicle and an E-85 (85% ethanol) van. Overall, our fleet has a very low impact on our institutional carbon footprint.

Transportation GHG emissions at Columbia are primarily related to the employee/student commute and employee air travel. Therefore, the focus of the Transportation Green Team is on increasing education about and solutions involving cycling, carpools, and mass transit. There are fewer pragmatic ways to reduce air travel emissions, but encouraging video conferencing, when appropriate, will positively impact both environment and finances.