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| Photo: Michelle S. Kim/UC Irvine |
| With the swipe of a computerized ZotWheels membership card, UC Irvine students, faculty and staff can check out a bicycle for campus commuting. |
UC Irvine's Parking & Transportation Services department launched ZotWheels last fall as an alternative to driving a personal or fleet vehicle to, from and around campus. Students, staff and faculty members take advantage of the program, reducing traffic congestion, the demand for parking, and UC Irvine's carbon footprint.
Computerized and networked ZotWheels stations are strategically located at high-volume destinations throughout campus, allowing members to rent a bike from one site, ride it and then return it to any of the other stations. Bicycles also can be used in the neighboring community. ZotWheels membership is $40 per year.
"We're honored to be a recipient of the Green California Leadership Award," said Ronald Fleming, Parking & Transportation Services interim director. "It acknowledges the forward-thinking work and dedication of our staff, who strive to improve air quality on and around campus. I hope other organizations will be inspired to implement similar programs."
The Green California Leadership Awards were established to recognize outstanding environmental achievements in government. Awards were presented Tuesday (March 16) at the Green California Summit in Sacramento.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UC Irvine is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County's largest employer, UC Irvine contributes an annual economic impact of $3.9 billion. For more news, visit www.today.uci.edu.