Target VII: Transportation

aerial view of seattle campus the 520 bridge and mountains

6% decrease in single-occupancy commuting rate per campus by 2028

Eighty-one percent of trips to and from UW’s Seattle campus are transit, biking, walking or rideshare trips, or telecommuting; the other 19% are driving alone. Reducing the campus drive-alone rate reduces emissions and other impacts, but also increases accessibility for those moving around the community. Led by Transportation Services and in alignment with State of Washington Commuter Trip Reduction law and the Campus Master Plan, UW will continue to reduce drive-alone commutes.

See all the target actions

Status updates

2020-2025 wrap-up report

Progress:

Provided fully subsidized U-PASS to over 22,000 employees.
Expanded secure bike storage and improved Burke-Gilman Trail safety.
Reached a historic 13% drive-alone (SOV) rate in 2022, the lowest ever recorded at UW and among the lowest nationally for a major university.
Adjusted the target in 2022 to reflect campus-specific baselines.

By-the-Numbers:

In 2023, the drive-alone rate increased slightly to 16.3% and to 16.6% in 2024.
The 2028 goal for Seattle is a 12% drive-alone rate.

Status: On track. UW has made significant investments in transit access, most notably by expanding the fully subsidized U-PASS to employees. Single-occupancy commuting has slightly increased post-pandemic (16.6% in 2024 vs. 13% in 2022). This reflects broader regional challenges, including fluctuating transit service and hybrid work patterns. Meeting the 2028 target of 12% will require more education and community engagement on the benefits of transit, enhancements to biking and pedestrian infrastructure, and close collaboration with transit agencies.

Fiscal year 2024 progress

FY2024 progress

Target actions for FY2024

Advocate for increased transit hours beyond peak commute times
Adopt a Bicycle Parking Plan
Update the Burke-Gilman Trail

Advocate for increased transit hours beyond peak commute times
The University of Washington has been working to improve transit options to better serve its campus community, particularly during off-peak hours. Through frequent communication with regional transit agencies, including weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings, the University has been able to stay informed about transit changes and push for more accessible transportation options.

Progress is rolling forward on this initiative, as shown by King County Metro Service expansion in September 2024. The transit agency plans to add 3,700 new bus trips per week, with a focus on enhancing night and weekend services. This represents an overall increase of 5% in transit service, with an 8% increase during nights and weekends. This expansion will address the needs of many in the UW community who require transportation beyond standard business hours for evening classes, night shifts, and other campus activities.

Despite these improvements, the University has noticed a concerning trend: an increase in single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) usage. This increase is likely attributed to the implementation of return-to-work policies.

The rise in SOV usage presents a challenge to the University's sustainability goals and efforts to reduce campus traffic congestion. It underscores the need for continued advocacy and collaboration with transit agencies to further increase service frequency, reliability, and coverage.

Adopt a Bicycle Parking Plan
In fiscal year 2024, the University of Washington completed and approved a comprehensive Bicycle Parking Plan. This strategic document outlines several initiatives aimed at enhancing bicycle infrastructure and accessibility across the campus. The plan addresses three primary areas of focus:

Bike Locker Renewal: A strategy was developed to assess and replace aging bike lockers, ensuring secure and reliable storage options for cyclists.
Bike Rack Rebalancing: The plan proposes a redistribution of bike racks throughout the campus to optimize utilization and meet changing demand patterns.
New Bike Houses: Introduction of plans for new bike houses on campus, providing additional protected parking options for cyclists.

Update the Burke-Gilman Trail
The University of Washington is taking significant steps to enhance safety and accessibility on the Burke-Gilman Trail. UW’s Transportation Services and Project Delivery Group are working together to secure both federal and state grants for improvements to a key section of the trail.

The project focuses on the stretch of the Burke-Gilman from Rainier Vista to the Hec Ed bridge. The design, which is nearing completion, proposes two major enhancements: lane separation and trail widening. These improvements aim to address longstanding concerns about user safety and congestion on this popular multi-use path.

Fiscal year 2023 progress

FY2023 progress

Target actions for FY23

Encourage sustainable transportation options
Improve active transportation infrastructure and access
Promote U-CAR and UW Shuttle service for mid-day travel

Encourage sustainable transportation options

The fully subsidized U-PASS for all employees was approved in the Spring and was effective July 1, 2022. This expansion covers an additional 22,000 employees across all campuses and medical centers, giving them subsidized access to most public transit options in our region. The 2022 campus commute trip reduction survey, published in May 2023, shows that UW reached a 13% drive alone rate, one of the lowest in the nation.

Transportation Services implemented free transit fares for students and staff 19 years old and younger, in accordance with new state legislation. Students 19 and under had their U-PASS fee refunded or waived starting in Fall and continuing through the year.
Transportation Services has continued to advocate for increased transit service levels from regional transit providers to provide commuting options for all employees and students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Improve active transportation infrastructure and access

Transportation Services opened three new bike houses on the Seattle campus, increasing secure bike parking by over 150 spots.

Promote U-CAR and UW Shuttle service for mid-day travel

Transportation Services continues to improve the visibility and marketing of our Shuttles and U-CAR services by marketing these programs on campus in UW newsletters and publications. UW Transportation puts a special emphasis on marketing the Nightride shuttle service at the end of each quarter. This is an especially relevant time to raise awareness of the Nightride service, as students are regularly on campus in later evening hours as they prepare for finals week.

Fiscal year 2022 progress

FY 2022 progress

Target actions for FY22

Encouraging sustainable transportation options and telework post COVID-19
Evaluate expansion and demand of daily parking options
Promote U-CAR and UW Shuttle service for mid-day travel

Encouraging sustainable transportation options and telework post COVID-19

The U-PASS program provides Husky Card holders with unlimited rides on regional transit systems. Most students on the Seattle and Tacoma campuses are automatically part of the program, and Bothell students can opt-in. The student U-PASS was temporarily suspended for the 2020-2021 school year when most classes were remote, but was reinstated for 2021-2022.

In Spring 2022, the UW updated the Transportation Services funding model to move employee transit costs to the central University benefits fund, allowing the institution to provide a fully-subsidized U-PASS for all faculty and staff starting in FY23. This provides easy access to public transportation options for nearly all UW employees.

UW Transportation Services monitors transit recovery on a monthly basis, reporting to the University Transportation Committee at each meeting. The UW has advocated for increased transit service levels through the East Link and North Link public review processes as a member of the process review board.

Transportation Services also received permits to build three new bike houses on the Seattle campus, expanding the parking and support infrastructure to encourage bike commutes.

Evaluate expansion and demand of daily parking options

New gate arms were installed at the South Campus Garage on the Seattle campus to allow pay-per-use parking implementation in FY23, expanding the number of pay-per-use options, which is a best practice for parking management to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips and maximizing parking space utilization.

Transportation Services continues to review parking demand at all three campuses to determine how best to implement daily parking options.

Promote U-CAR and UW Shuttle service for mid-day travel

Transportation Services implemented improved routing of the shuttles to better service UW Medical Center - Montlake patients and employees. They are also reviewing U-CAR key management software vendors for implementation in FY23 to improve the customer experience.

Previous status reports

Target VII: Transportation

6% decrease in single-occupancy commuting rate per campus by 2028

Status updates

2020-2025 wrap-up report

FY2024 progress

FY2023 progress

FY 2022 progress

Target metrics

Guiding principles of this target

Keep Equity and Inclusion at the Center

Use Resources Responsibly

Decarbonize