Kent State University’s Office of Sustainability kicks off its yearlong theme of Sustainable Transportation during Campus Sustainability Month this October. Campus Sustainability Month is a nationwide effort devoted to recognizing successes, challenges and innovations of sustainability in higher education. Kent State faculty, staff and students are encouraged to explore alternative forms of transportation.

There are many different alternative methods of getting across campus. For individuals with their own bikes, new racks are being installed across campus, and secure indoor bike storage is available in most residence halls.

Flashfleet, Kent State University's technology-based,
bike-rental program, is available to students, faculty and
staff.

For those without a bike, Flashfleet, a bike-sharing program, is available to all students, faculty and staff. The bikes are rental quality, technology-based and each one has a GPS computer. The computer allows users to rent the bikes with no attendant necessary. Flashfleet has racks at various locations across campus and downtown. Flashfleet’s NextBike mobile app is now available in the App Store. The app allows users to find and rent available bikes, review their account and communicate with customer service.

“The app is not necessary for Flashfleet use, but is a convenient option,” says Chris John, assistant director of Recreational Services.

Bike lane decals and small signs will be installed along the length of the Lefton Esplanade to help cyclists and pedestrians share the space safely.

“Our hope is that the eight-location system will allow time savings when traveling around campus, less vehicle traffic on campus, a little bit of stress relief and an opportunity for some physical exercise,” John says.

The Portage Area Regional Transit Authority (PARTA) has a bus service serving the Kent Campus and surrounding community. PARTA provides three on-campus routes: the Campus Loop, Allerton and Stadium/Front Campus. These routes are open to all students and visitors of the university.

For those times when a car is the only way to go, the car-sharing service Zipcar is available on campus. The convenient and reliable transportation can be reserved for as little as an hour at a time at an affordable rate.

There are many other ways to get involved with Kent State’s campus sustainability events.

Bra Recycling Drive: Thursday, Oct. 1, to Friday, Nov. 6

For the third year, Kent State’s Office of Sustainability and the Women’s Center are hosting a bra recycling drive to collect reusable or worn-out bras. Bras that are in good condition will be donated to local charities in need, and worn-out bras will be recycled. Bras that are washed and clean can be dropped off at the Women’s Center Carriage House or at the Office of Sustainability at Suite 101 in Harbourt Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Game Day Challenge: Saturday, Oct. 24

The Game Day Challenge is a national competition between colleges and universities to promote waste reduction at football games. Schools track and report waste and recycling data that is used to rank the schools.

For more information about events marking Campus Sustainability Month and other sustainability initiatives at Kent State, visit www.kent.edu/sustainability or contact Leah Graham at lgraha13@kent.edu.

For more information about National Campus Sustainability Month, visit www.aashe.org/campus-sustainability-month.