Since its introduction in 2011, the Stony Brook University Office of Sustainability has remained committed to its goal of providing the SBU community with safe, sustainable forms of transportation that ultimately reduce the university’s carbon footprint.
In the pursuit of these goals, the Office of Sustainability has frequently partnered with Mobility & Parking Services (MAPS) to establish green transportation initiatives, such as the Wolf Ride Bike Share program and EV charging network on campus. The partnership between the two departments has led to several notable achievements this past year, highlighting the importance of working together to promote sustainability at SBU.
Last September, Stony Brook earned the highest organizational pledge count for a university in the 2024 Car Free Day Long Island competition. This coincided with SBU being designated a Silver Bicycle Friendly University in October, thanks in large part to increased awareness and programs highlighting biking on campus.
These accolades come as no surprise given the behind-the-scenes stats that exemplify MAPS’ environmental work. For one, the Wolf Ride Bike Share program had a 12.3 percent increase in rides from 2023 with 6,548 unique users in the system. Transportation Demand Management Coordinator Greg Monaco said that this is because of the “improved user functionality of the PBSC app, new bike share signage and website, as well as improved bicycle repair and record keeping.”
Users can reach out to MAPS directly with any questions or concerns by emailing ridegreen@stonybrook.edu or calling (631) 632-MAPS (6277).
But that’s not all. Since its on-campus introduction in 2014, EV charging has grown.“The EV Charging program at Stony Brook had its most successful year to date in 2024, with a 38 percent increase in charging sessions from 2023,” said Monaco. “During the summer break, MAPS completed the program’s first rate review in its 11-year history, bringing the pricing structure more in line with local charging programs.The introduction of an idle charging fee also contributed to an increase in charging sessions and an overall increase in net revenue. Idle charging sessions decreased from 54 percent in 2023 to 16 percent in 2024.” (Idle charging is when vehicles remain plugged into a charging station at least 30 minutes after they have fully charged.)
MAPS plans to expand on their sustainable transportation in 2025. In particular, there are discussions around partnerships with the LIRR and rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft. Similarly, the Office of Sustainability and MAPS are working toward a fleet electrification study in partnership with NYPA and AECOM.
To learn more about sustainable transportation, visit the MAPS website. To stay up to date on other sustainable news, check out the In the News section on the Office of Sustainability’s website.
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