Transportation & Travel Choices

Like many campuses across North America, transportation and parking issues continue to challenge the university, particularly in light of recent growth. The university has a comprehensive parking and transportation demand management program that encourages the use of public transit, cycling and walking and less reliance on single occupant vehicles.

Action Plan 2009 - 2014 Transportation Goals:

• Increase bus use, cycling, and carpooling to 70% of campus modal split by 2014.

• Reduce the number of fleet vehicles that consume fossil fuels to 40% of total vehicle fleet.

• Increase support for persons with a disability as it relates to travel, parking and transportation choice.

• Quantify the emissions generated by university business-travel annually starting in 2012 to assist in developing reduction strategies.

• Work with neighbouring municipalities on linked transportation strategies to more than double the per capita proportion of bicycle use by 2014.

• Build a foundation for greater co-operation and co-ordination of sustainable transportation initiatives in the region.

Cycling

Cycling Amenities on Campus

With more than 3000 bike parking spaces, UVic is a bicycle-friendly campus. Cyclists can take advantage of our covered bicycle shelters, bike lockers, clothing storage lockers, shower and change room facilities, pressurized air hose, towel service and ample bike parking. A cycling amenities map is available here.

Showers and change rooms are located in the following buildings and facilties:

• Ian Stewart Complex
• McKinnon Gym
• Engineering Computer Science Building
• Medical Sciences Building
• Social Sciences and Mathematics Building
• Technology Enterprise Facility
• Administrative Services Building
• First People's House of Learning
• Continuing Studies Building (9am - 4:30pm only)
• Craigdarroch Housing Office

Bike Lockers

There are currently 96 bicycle lockers on campus available for students, faculty and staff to rent.. Each locker has enough room for your bike and gear. Visit or call SUBtext in the SUB for information on bike locker availability. If you are unable to get a bike locker but need a bit of extra space for your cycling gear, simply take advantage of the hundreds of free clothing lockers on campus, located in almost every building.

UVic Bike Kitchen

Our self-serve bike repair kios, the "bike kitchen" is officially open! We now have a central location on campu, open 24/7, where cyclists can have access to bike stands, compressed air, and basic tools for quick repairs and minor adjustments. The kitchen is located in between the SUB and the GSS building. Full toolkits will be available for loan to students and staff through SUBtext inside SUB during regular office hours. Watch the video of the grand opening.

Bikes on the Bus

In Victoria, over 95% of the transit fleet has bicycle racks on board, so it is easy to make cycling a part of your regular commute. There are 3 basic steps involved in putting your bike on the rack -- you can check out the BC Transit webpage for photos and instructions. Or, the next time you are at the bus loop on campus, try out the racks on a parked bus.

SPOKES Program

Need a bicycle? Started in September 2003, SPOKES is a bicycle bursary program at the University of Victoria campus that combines recycling with cycling. The project aims to divert old, unwanted bicycles from the landfill by fixing them up and lending them out to students, faculty and staff. Fleets of refurbished bikes are given out every month! More than 350 bicycles are currently in circulation! Visit the SPOKES page by clicking here

Electric Bike Charging Stations

There are 4 free designated electric bike charging stations on campus. All stations are on a first come first serve basis and owners are using the stations at their own risk. Locations wil be at the following:

• Human and Social Development Building
• Visual Arts Building
• David Strong Building
• University Centre Building

Bicycle Engraving

To reduce the likelihood of theft and to assist in recovery if your bike is stolen, participate in a Bicycle Registration program with Campus Security Services. You can have your bike engraved and registered free of charge. Your bike and accessories will be identified with your Driver's License or BC ID number and Campus Security will register all your information on a computer system. To set up an appointment, call the Personal Safety Coordinator at 721-8981 or email psc@uvic.ca

Cycling Advisory Committee

Participating in the Cycling Advisory Committee (CAC) is a great way for cyclists to get involved on campus! This committee is open to students, faculty and staff and meets quarterly, or as needed. The committee hosts a number of events on campus each year, plus provides support for commuter cycling classes and bike maintenance workshops. Contact action@uvic.ca for more info.

Public Transit

Bus Routes To Campus

The University of Victoria is a major transit hub in the community. With more than 300 busses arriving and leaving each day, you can connect from campus to anywhere in the CRD.

Click here for a listing of bus routes that serve UVic or visit the BC Transit website.

Universal Bus Pass

The Universal Bus Pass (U-Pass) provides students with unlimited access to Victoria region public transit. All students taking at least one (1-unit) on-campus course are charged $69.25 for a four-month pass. This charge appears on your UVic fees statement. This program makes transportation to UVic convenient and affordable, eases parking and traffic congestion, and reduces the demand to pave more of the campus for parking lots.

The magnetic strip on your validated UVic student card is also your U-Pass. If you are a returning student, take your card to the UVSS Info Booth (in the SUB), the University Centre Photo ID Booth or the GSS General Office to have it validated. If you are unable to use the U-Pass because you have a disability preventing you from using the bus or you already have a bus pass (e.g. through social assistance from the provincial government), you can opt-out of the U-Pass program. For more information on the very limited conditions for opting out, call or visit the UVSS Info Booth for more information. To opt out for a four-month term, you must follow the September 30, January 31 and May 31 opt-out deadlines.

Employee Bus Pass Program

UVic and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission are proud to offer the UVic Employee Bus Pass Program, which offers discounted bus passes to employees at a cost of $36 per month, a savings of $42 each month! To qualify for the subsidized bus pass, an employee must be eligible, defined as:

• any employee who lives off campus and;
• any employee who is benefit-eligible or;
• any employee who is on a continuing appointment or;
• any employee who is on a temporary appointment whose hours of work are not less than 3 days per week or;
• any person who is not a University employee but whose regular place of employment is on the University of Victoria Campus and whose hours of work are not less than 3 days per week.

These bus passes are not transferable—they’re for use by eligible employees only. The eligible employee must agree to purchase the transit pass for their sole personal use to commute to the University of Victoria. The employee bus passes are sold at Campus Security Services on a month to month basis, much like buying a monthly pass from a local pharmacy or convenience store. Employee bus passes for the coming month are available on the 15th of the prior month (e.g., April passes go on sale March 15th). Please note that annual parking permit holders are not eligible for the Employee Bus Pass. In compliance with Canada Revenue Agency regulations, the UVic investment toward employee participation in the Employee Bus Pass program is considered a taxable benefit. The deduction from your pay cheque will be the tax on $35.92 (approximately $8.20) each month.

Driving Options

Car Sharing

There are 3 car share vehicles on the University of Victoria campus - 2 are conveniently located next to the bus loop and Campus Security and 1 at Family Student Housing. Car sharing is ideal for those students, faculty or staff who generally walk, cycle or use transit but sometimes need a car to do errands or trips.

Members can use the 24-hour online booking system and then pick up their reserved vehicle from its reserved spot. When finished, just return the car to the same location. Members are billed for their usage automatically each month. Check out the Victoria Car Share Co-op website for more information.

The University of Victoria is pleased to offer an EMPLOYEE CAR SHARE PROGRAM for full-time continuing staff and faculty on campus - a great way to support faculty and staff who regularly use sustainable transportation for commuting. We also have launched a FAMILY STUDENT CAR SHARE PROGRAM for those living in FAMILY STUDENT HOUSING. Qualifying members under either of these programs will have their Car Share membership fees paid by UVic (a $400 value!). You are still responsible for all other usage fees.

Carpooling

Registered UVic carpools get the benefit of the best parking stalls on campus, 24 hours a day 7 days per week and even get to choose which parking lot their stall is going to be located in. Carpool permits require three or more vehicle owners who live at different addresses, and are available through Campus Security/Parking Services.

Ridesharing

The most popular and flexible choice for students! A rideshare permit allows the user to easily find a great parking stall on campus. Those who have a permit and have three or more people in the vehicle get priority parking in designated rideshare stalls between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. After 10 a.m., any available rideshare stalls revert back to general parking.

Rideshare stalls are available in parking lots #1, 2, 4 and 6.

The beauty of rideshare is the fact that you can change the people you give a ride to, the participants do not need to own vehicles or live at different addresses, and if you don't have enough people that day, you simply park in the general spaces. Obtain your rideshare permit from Campus Security/Parking Services.

Finding a Ride Share Partner

The Jack Bell RideShare Foundation can help you find a casual or formal group of people to commute with, whether you have a car or not. Register online with your preferred route and times you are travelling to campus, and allow the system to match you up with others on similar journeys.

Employee Flexible Parking Permit

This permit system allows a driver to park up to 12 days per calendar month on campus at a discounted daily rate. This special permit is available to full-time continuing employees only. Obtain your Flex Pass permit from Campus Security/Parking Services.

Above: Students at UVic Family Student Housing can obtain a FREE membership in the Victoria Car Share Co-op. There are 3 vehicles on the UVic campus.

Motorcycles and scooters

UVic actively supports the option of riding a motorcycle or scooter to campus. Motorcycle parking— including several covered areas —is located in numerous lots around campus. See the parking map by clicking here.

A new covered parking area has been constructed in Parking Lot 2 that accommodates up to 20 scooters and motorcycles.

‘Limited speed motorcycles (without pedals, and requiring a license, registration and insurance) require a motorcycle permit and must be parked in motorcycle parking areas. Obtain your motorcycle/scooter permit from Campus Security and Parking Services.

Above: A student takes advantage of the numerous scooter and motorcycle parking areas

Walking/Jogging/Skateboarding/In Line Skating

The UVic campus is designed to be a walkable, pedestrian friendly place. If you are living close by or on campus, walking, jogging, skateboarding and in line skating are popular mdes of transporation.  You can check out the Capital Bike and Walk Society for more information on popular walking routes and scenic tours. A reminder to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to LIGHTEN UP and wear visible clothing or reflectors at night time.

Campus Security Services has also put together a program called Run Safer - a series of personal safety tips for running at night.

CAMPUS SAFEWALK PROGRAM:

Campus Security Services provides a safe walk service, which is available to members of the university community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is provided from building to building, building to vehicle, and vice versa within the boundaries of the campus.

When receiving a call for an escort, the Security Officers taking the request will make every possible attempt to have the safe walk service to your location as soon as possible. However, at times situations, eg., heavy call load, weather conditions, etc., do arise that may delay the escort. A call back number will enable us to contact you in the event of a lengthy delay.

In addition to escorts provided by Campus Security Services Security Officers, Student Assistants are employed by Campus Security Services to assist in the evenings, Monday to Friday, during the winter session, from September through April. This service is available 7 days a week. To use this service, phone 721-7599 at any time of the day or night.

Safewalk can also be requested by calling from any one of Campus Security's 11 Direct Dial Phones located around the University Campus

Video Conferencing

Reduce your transportation impact by not leaving campus! Videoconferencing provides real time face to face interaction with sites virtually anywhere in the world. The technology allows for communication between two sites or between multiple locations. The state-of-the-art videoconferencing facilities at UVic are located in the Social Sciences and Math Building, with three different sized rooms available for rent. For more information visit Media Services.

Motor Pool Vehicle Rentals

Do you need a vehicle for University business? Campus Security maintains a Motor Pool Fleet available for rental by UVic staff and faculty. Vehicle options include mini vans (seating up to 8 including driver) as well as a hybrid car -- and are available for short or long term rentals. Charges are based on length of rental plus mileage driven. Insurance and gas are provided. To reserve a vehicle, a "Request for Rental Vehicle" form, which may be obtained from the Campus Secuirity office, must be filled out and submitted in advance of your travel. All requests are on a first come first serve basis. For more information call 721-6557.

Long Term Traffic and Parking Issues

In October 2008, the Campus Planning Committee received the final report of the Traffic and Parking Management Study, which was initiated in early 2008 by the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability.

The study reflects the policy direction in the Campus Plan that provides for promoting alternate modes of travel to campus, and managing campus circulation and parking for vehicles and bicycles. The goals of the study were to assess traffic issues on campus related to vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and transit buses, and determine the quantity, type and location of the parking supply needed to accommodate projected campus growth and development in a manner reflecting the Campus Plan, the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program and sustainability guidelines.

A technical committee of university staff worked closely with the consultants, Opus International Consultants (BC) Ltd., throughout the study. Between February and June 2008, a series of stakeholder consultations took place, including campus focus group meetings, online surveys, a public open house meeting and liaison with neighbouring community associations.

The report is divided into three main sections: Multi-modal Traffic and Circulation, Parking and Enhanced Transportation Demand Management. Major highlights of the findings and recommendations include:

• Planning for changes to the Ring Road to reduce traffic speeds and volumes, minimize conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists, streamline transit bus movements, assist with cyclist movements across and through campus, and to improve overall transportation safety.

• Monitoring parking demand levels, adjusting the use and allocation of the current supply of parking spaces, planning for additional spaces in the short and medium term, and the implementation of new Transportation Demand Management measures to encourage reduced levels of parking demand.

The Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability will use the report as a key resource in planning for future campus parking and transportation needs as well as for responding to specific transportation issues that require action in the short, medium and longer term.

The report will also assist in the preparation of the campus sustainability policy and action plan, in the implementation of the campus Transportation Demand Management program and in ongoing liaison with outside agencies involved with transportation activities, such as BC Transit and the local municipalities.

For a copy of this report, please contact 853-3758.