Transportation and Travel

Our Goals 

The university’s goals regarding sustainable transportation/travel operations include both short- and long-term initiatives. NIU will strive to:

• Implement inventories and surveys to develop a thorough understanding of the carbon footprint of current transportation activities/operations.
• Take immediate action to reduce carbon emissions (for example, by further increasing the number of hybrid/electric vehicles in our fleet).
• Develop strategies for long-term carbon emission reduction, including planning for new infrastructure, incentivizing/promoting more sustainable options and collaborating with the city to optimize public transportation.

Our Progress

NIU has taken steps to address greenhouse gas emissions in our transportation operations and is committed to further action. In addition to using 10% ethanol blend gasoline and B11/B2 soy biodiesel, we have installed electric vehicle charging stations for our fleet vehicles and increased the number of hybrid vehicles in the university fleet. Through our energy savings agreement with Trane Technologies, more EV charging stations will be installed on campus.

Our Partners

Sustainability in transportation relies on creating better conditions for more sustainability travel, as well as the traveler choosing to participate. We encourage the campus community to use sustainable transportation methods.

Students, employees and alumni can reserve a car for short-term use with our Zipcar program. There are several local public transportation options, including the Huskie Bus Line, which is operated by the City of DeKalb. We encourage bike-riding with our bicycle registration program, in partnership with the Department of Police and Public Safety. Commuter and Off-Campus Programs maintains an online platform that helps people create and join carpools, allowing them to share rides to/from campus.