IRVINE -- UC Irvine's effort to reduce congestion and improve air quality through sustainable transportation programs was recognized Thursday, April 16, with an outstanding achievement award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. UCI was one of 40 honorees chosen from among more than 200 nominations from California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. Laura Yoshii, acting regional administrator for the EPA, presented the award to UCI staff in San Francisco.

"We are honored to be selected by the EPA from the numerous worthwhile and inspiring environmental projects under way in Region 9," said Wendell Brase, vice chancellor for administrative & business services. "UCI faculty, staff and students work very hard to address environmental issues that affect our campus, community and planet, and to educate others about those issues."

UCI's sustainable transportation program promotes walking, biking and the use of scooters, carpools, vanpools, car-sharing services, shuttles and public transportation. The EPA lauded the comprehensive program for eliminating more than 39 million vehicle miles and 19,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and for saving the university community more than $21 million annually. UCI commuters average 1.87 riders per car, the highest average vehicle ridership for any employer of comparable size in Southern California.

The EPA has designated UCI as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters. Through technology, infrastructure improvements, policies and educational outreach, the sustainable transportation program aims to develop a culture of environmentally conscious commuters.

Now in its 11th year, the EPA Region 9 Environmental Achievement Awards program recognizes individuals and organizations based on their ability to collaborate, meet state goals, and develop projects that others can replicate.

About the University of California, Irvine: UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,200 staff. The top employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UCI faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.

UCI maintains an online directory of faculty available as experts to the media. To access, visit http://today.uci.edu/news/experts.asp.

For UCI breaking news, visit www.zotwire.uci.edu.