Kick-off day of the new Bates Bike Coop. Ten LLBean cruiser bikes were unveiled.

Two Toyota Prius Zipcars on campus.

One of three electric GEM cars on campus.

Reducing our individual transportation is one of the easiest ways we can reduce our impact on the earth, our communities, and ourselves. Transportation, one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, is also costing people more than ever due to rising fuel prices.
Bates offers a number of alternatives:

Commute Another Way

• There is a daily vanpool between Portland-Falmouth-Lewiston. For more information contact Julie Rosenbach.
• Visit Go Maine-a statewide resource for ride-sharing, commuter assistance, vanpools, and other alternative transportation options.
• Take the Commuter Challenge Try walking, biking, carpooling, vanpooling, and/or using public transportation one day a week.

Around Campus

Bates makes it's campus as walkable as possible:

• Most parking lots are located on the edge of campus, and walking paths are made accessible at all times.
• Student parking is extremely limited, especially in the winter months when Lewiston enforces a parking ban on most streets.

We realize there are times when students need to get off campus, or prefer to get where they are going on wheels. Therefore Bates has two sustainable options for alternative, community-based transportation:

• Bates Bike Coop: offers students, faculty, and staff the use of ten community bicycles for getting around campus and to nearby destinations. Join the Bike Coop for a small annual fee and get a key to access any of the bycycles parked around campus.
• ZipCars: Bates houses two Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles on campus. Students can "rent" these vehicles for a trip to the store or a day out skiing. Members pay a one time fee for obtaining a zipcard, and can then reserve a vehicle online. Vehicles are rented by the hour.

The College Fleet

Bates owns thirty-three vehicles and aproximately ten golf carts, used by Dining Services, Physical Plant, Security, Information & Library Services, and the Presidents Office for daily operations. In addition, the College uses many more vehicles for student needs. Atheletics, academic programs, and student organizations often rent or lease vehicles.

As Bates replaces vehicles in its fleet, new ones will be more fuel efficient, hybrid, or electric wherever possible.

• Electric Vehicles: Bates currently has three electric GEM cars for campus use. Dining Services, Information & Library Services, and Physical Plant all use GEM cars as alternatives to gas-powered vehicles. They are compact, road-worthy and run on 100% renewable electricity!