CU at Boulder considers frosh parking ban

With close to 80 percent of students already walking, biking, taking the bus or some combination of all three, the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) is considering a ban on incoming freshman parking their vehicles on campus.

"This is nothing new," said Dave Newport, director of CU's Environmental Center. "Schools are doing this all over the nation. We wouldn't be the first...we wouldn't be the 50^th."

Newport adds that the solution has been considered before and stresses that it is only in the early stages of actually happening. He also says that it would take close to two years to coordinate and enforce the ban.

While student use of various modes of alternative transportation is high, only 55 percent of faculty bus, bike or walk to work

Newport says that between CU's on-campus circulators and contracts with both private and public operators, his annual bus budget is about $5 million. CU is also currently the number one "green school in America."

Last week, the university filed its plan for reducing campus energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions with the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, with ideas that included installing motion sensors that can automatically turn off lights in empty classrooms and using eco-friendly building standards.

"Like most campuses around the nation, we're basically landlocked," explained Newport. "Because of that, what would we rather have a parking structure or another educational facility?"

Student fees cover bus passes. The campus has about 65 bikes to rent, as well as a program that allows students to check out cars and a carpool system.