UNC Asheville is dedicated to decreasing our carbon footprint by offering a wide range of alternative transportation. Not only does our campus provide charging stations for electric automobiles, we also offered prefered parking for carpools, offer campus shuttles and provide free public transportation to our students.
Public Transit
UNC Asheville provides free bus fare for students, faculty and staff through the City of Asheville Transit System’s Passport Program. UNC Asheville’s participation in the Passport Program led to a 146 percent increase in the student bus boarding during its first seven months. In 2007, the University was the first employer in the City to join the program, extending benefits to faculty and staff. For more information check out UNC Asheville’s Transportation Services page.
Bikes
UNC Asheville is a bike-friendly campus. There are secure bike racks all around campus as well as lockers for bike commuters. The UNC Asheville Bike Shop, located in the lowest level of Highsmith Student Union, offers free commuter bike rentals, as well as mountain bike rentals for a small fee. The Bike Shop was created as a learning environment — free basic bike maintenance is offered for all students, faculty, and staff, as well as education for cyclists who would like to learn how to repair their own bikes while working with a trained mechanic.
Greenways
Some four and half miles of established walking trails are used daily by faculty, staff, and students. One trail passes by the University’s low ropes course, located in the wooded section of South Campus.
UNC Asheville partnered with the City of Asheville to create the Glenn’s Creek Greenway that extends along W.T. Weaver Boulevard from Merrimon Avenue around to Broadway, which is immediately adjacent to campus. The Grounds Crew planted trees, landscaped the riparian buffer along the creek, and developed and maintain the storm-water wetlands that are on campus and feed into the creek.
A new greenway that will connect UNC Asheville’s campus to the downtown core has been made possible by the recent acquisition of the 525 Broadway property, allowing students to walk or ride on a protected path the entire way. The official dedication of the newest section of the Greenway took place on October 9th, 2014.