Transportation
Stanford’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program to reduce university-related traffic impact is one of the most comprehensive in the country. Stanford developed the program to meet peak-trip reduction goals in its General Use Permit, issued by the county of Santa Clara, which governs campus growth and development.
Transportation, including commuters and university fleet vehicles accounts for 12 percent of Stanford’s greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing the use of alternative transportation reduces those emissions and makes our community a better place to live and work: fewer cars translates to better air quality, less traffic congestion and noise, reduced pressure on undeveloped land and improved health for commuting students and employees. Despite significant campus growth, the TDM program has resulted in measurable reductions in commuter emissions, and it plays an essential role in the university’s sustainability effort.
From 2002 to 2014, the percentage of Stanford employees driving alone to campus dropped from 72 to 49 percent.