Transportation

Climate Action Group

Mission

The Transportation Climate Action Group will reduce emissions associated with transportation by electrifying the entire fleet of university vehicles and promoting alternatives for commuters such as walking, biking, public transit, and electric vehicles.

Participants

Co-Chairs

Jon Carnegie

Executive Director, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center

Jon A. Carnegie, AICP/PP is executive director of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and an adjunct member of the faculty at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers. Mr. Carnegie has more than 27 years of experience in the fields of land use and transportation planning and policy at the municipal, county and regional level. He has been or currently serves as the principal investigator for a variety of research and planning projects involving a range of transportation policy topics. Since 2007, many of Mr. Carnegie’s research and planning projects have focused on emergency management, sustainability and resiliency planning. His clients include: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT), NJ TRANSIT, NJ Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), and the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP), Georgetown Climate Center, The Kresge Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Henry Velez

Vice President, Business Services, Rutgers IP&O

Henry X. Velez is the vice president for Institutional Planning and Operations – Business Services. His career spans 29 years in higher education. Henry is a licensed professional in public accounting, certified financial planner, certified facilitator in internal control self-assessment, and certified information technology professional.

Henry oversees the financial governance, budget and accounting, procurement, payroll, IT, employee services, economic development, and various operational service level agreements for Institutional Planning and Operations. The operation’s portfolio includes 1,000 buildings consisting of 30 million gsf, over $1 billion capital construction program, and a $500 million operating annual budget. He has fiscal oversight of Housing, Golf Course, Retail, Parking, Transportation, University Facilities, Capital Planning and Construction, University Public Safety, Mail, Record Retention, Warehousing, Fleet management and various other university support services under IP&O.

Members

Scope:

Reduce direct (Scope 1) emissions from the university fleet by at least 20% by 2030 and 100% by 2040.
- Electrify university fleet
Reduce indirect (Scope 3) emissions associated with commuting by at least 30% by 2030
- Create safe bicycle and pedestrian friendly infrastructure
- Facilitate EV adoption
- Explore subsidies for public transit
- Study parking cash-out options

Projects by Fiscal Year

Electrification

Initiate a study to develop EV charging station infrastructure.
Conduct a scan of available EV bus technologies, charging, operational approaches, etc. for heavy-load, cold-weather operations.

Streets Projects

Survey if the University bicycle rental and e-scooter programs should be expanded.
Initiate a study to improve and enhance pedestrian/bicycle facilities and amenities connecting University campuses.
Initiate a study to improve and enhance existing inter- and intra-campus wayfinding.
Survey and begin to develop a green streets program.

Travel Behavior

Conduct an annual university-wide travel survey.
Investigate ways to eliminate the need to travel between campuses, review current bus routing, investigate express routes
Promote and expand incentives for travel alternatives, such as Tax Save program, NJ TRANSIT discounts, commuter rewards, E-bike incentives, etc

Electrification

Continue phase 2 of FY23 Electrification Projects

Streets Projects

Investigate the efficacy of changes to the University parking policy, fee structure and fee payment options to encourage less drive along travel.
Continue phase 2 of FY23 Street Projects

Travel Behavior

Quantify the GHG impact of faculty, staff and student travel and the GHG benefits of the project.
Flex-work hybrid work schedule pilot program
Continue phase 2 of FY23 Travel Behavior Projects

Dunbar Birnie, Professor, School of Engineering, RU–NB

Stephanie Brody, Student, School of Environmental & Biological Science, RU–NB

Erin Cuomo, Assistant Vice President- IP&O Business Services - Budget & Accounting

Rolando Feliz, Director - IP&O Business Services - Parking

Greg Gamble, Director Economic Development, Camden Chancellor's Office

William Gause, Senior Associate Dean for Research, New Jersey Medical School

David Haines, Director, IP&O Material and Logistical Services

Paul Hammond, Assistant Vice Chancellor, VP Academic Affairs

Peter Jin, Associate Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering

John Karakoglou, Director - IP&O Business Services - Transportation Services

Georgia Kyrifides, Director of Operations - Robert Wood Johnson

Bill McCarthy, Dean, School of Criminal Justice

Heather Mitchell, Law School Technical Services Librarian

Ian Murphy, Graduate Student, Edward J. Bloustein School

Robert Noland, Distinguished Professor CY, BSPPP-Dean's Office

Bill O'Brien, Assistant Vice President - IP&O Business Services & Auxiliary Services

Shante Palmer, Vice Chancellor Newark

Michael Petti, Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff - New jersey Medical School Dean's Office

Kelcie Ralph, Assoc Professor ACD YR, BSPPP-Dean's Office

Domenick Rizzo, Assistant Director - IP&O Business Services - Transportation Services

Monica Roth, Professor, Robert Wood Johnson-Pharmacology

Michael Smart, Assoc Professor ACD YR, BSPPP-Dean's Office

Barry Sopher, Director, Laboratory for Economic Behavior, Institutions and Design

Jennifer Sousa, Sr. Dept Administrator, IP&O Business Services

Jennifer Stuart, Director, IP&O Planning Dev & Design

Clayton Walton, Director Newark Office of Global Initiatives

Wenwen Zhang, Asst Professor ACD YR, BSPPP-Dean's Office

Working Groups

Operations- Improve and enhance pedestrian/bicycle facilities and amenities connecting university campuses.
Operations- Improve and enhance existing inter- and intra-campus wayfinding.
Policy- Investigate the efficacy of changes to the University’s parking policy, fee structure, and fee payment options to encourage less drive-along travel.
Operations- Implement a green streets and parking program.
Operations- Explore implementation of bus-only lanes.

Research- Conduct an annual university-travel survey.
Operations- Investigate ways to eliminate the need to travel between campuses, review current bus routing, investigate express routes.
Research- Quantify the GHG impact of faculty, staff, and student travel and the GHG benefits of the Flex-work hybrid work schedule pilot program.
Policy- Nurture and grow external partnerships to expand travel options.
Policy- Expand incentives for travel alternatives, such as Tax Save program, NJ TRANSIT discounts, commuter rewards, E-bike incentives, etc.
Operations- Expand the University bicycle and e-scooter rental programs.