UC San Diego Receives ‘All-Star Award’ From SANDAG’s iCommute Program

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The University of California, San Diego received the “All-Star Award” as part of the San Diego Association of Government’s (SANDAG) annual iCommute Diamond Awards. The “All-Star Award” recognizes a past Diamond Award winner with longstanding commuter programs who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to transportation choices for employees through new/expanded programming. UC San Diego has received three Diamond Awards in the last five years: One in the University/College category, one for Program Excellence and another for Innovation.

“We are proud to be recognized for our ongoing efforts to provide innovative alternative transportation options to the campus community,” said Robert Holden, director of Auxiliary Business Services, which oversees Transportation Services at UC San Diego.

The Diamond Awards honor companies, organizations, schools, agencies and individuals for their outstanding contribution to promoting and participating in alternative transportation choices in the San Diego region. Currently, 58 percent of UC San Diego commuters utilize alternative transportation options which include: Public transit, carpool, vanpool, Coaster Club, Pedal Club, carsharing, Zimride ride-matching access, campus shuttles and more. As a result of the campus’s efforts to promote alternative transportation, UC San Diego has reduced commute-related greenhouse gas emission by an estimated 16,000 metric tons per year since 2001.

In addition to receiving several Diamond Awards, UC San Diego also placed first in SANDAG’s 2012 iCommute Rideshare Corporate Challenge. UC San Diego employees logged the most alternative transportation commutes in the competition’s “Mega Company” category during October 2012.