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

Popy Begum, Graduate Student, School of Criminal Justice
Dunbar Birnie, Professor, School of Engineering, RU–NB
Greg Gamble, Director Economic Development,Camden Chancellor's Office
Paul Hammond, Assistant Vice Chancellor, VP Academic Affairs
Peter Jin, Associate Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering
Leigh Ann Kimber, Asst Director, IP&O Planning Dev & Design
Bill McCarthy, Dean, School of Criminal Justice
Heather Mitchell, Law School Technical Services Librarian
Robert Noland, Distinguished Professor CY, BSPPP-Dean's Office
Shante Palmer, Vice Chancellor Newark
Faizali Rahim, RUSA University Affairs Chair
Kelcie Ralph, Assoc Professor ACD YR, BSPPP-Dean's Office
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

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

Working Groups

Operations- Expand the University bicycle and e-scooter rental programs
Operations- Improve and enhance pedestrian/bicycle facilities and amenities connecting University campuses, 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- Expand the University bicycle and e-scooter rental programs
Operations- Improve and enhance pedestrian/bicycle facilities and amenities connecting University campuses, 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