Oxy’s Report Card: A for Parking, C- for Sustainability

Occidental has earned the attention of prospective students, the appreciation of current students, and the wonder of fellow colleges and universities with its extremely generous parking policy.  At Occidental, students register and park their cars for free, and are free to use any one of the hundreds of parking spots available throughout our small campus.  College Prowler, a rankings system for colleges for such topics as ‘Weather’, ‘Local Atmosphere’, and ‘Greek Life’, rates Oxy at an A- for parking,  “There’s always parking available somewhere on campus” and “There are never major complaints about parking.”

In another rankings system, Oxy fared far worse.  In 2009, The College Sustainability Report Card granted Occidental College a C- ranking for overall sustainability.  Their analysis included a ‘B for Food and Recycling, a ‘C’ for administration – and another ‘D’ for transportation (check out http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2009/schools/occidental-college for a more extensive breakdown).  

In 2007, the ASOC passed a sustainability resolution calling for an increased effort towards campus greening.  Various organizations and individuals on campus responded:  In just the past year, Campus Dining has implemented more organic and local options and started using some compostable to-go containers, FEAST club has started and developed its own on-campus organic garden, and the administration is seriously considering installing the largest solar array of any private college in the United States.  Yet, despite these admirable developments toward sustainability, transportation at Oxy remains rigidly car-centric. 

Last year, the brand-new Sustainability Fund approved the purchase and installation of several bike racks at key locations on campus.  While this is a necessary first step towards decreasing car use on campus, Oxy remains far behind more progressive institutions in providing alternative transportation options.

Schools like Pitzer College in Claremont, CA, set an excellent example of sustainability efforts for Oxy to replicate.  Four years ago, Pitzer started a bike-sharing program in which abandoned bikes found on campus are repaired and refurbished, then raffled off to students to use for the entire semester – for free.  All of the Claremont Colleges also have contracts with Zipcar, a car-sharing program in which students pay a small registration and usage fee to use a car occasionally.  Just a few of these Zipcars could be useful to hundreds of students who need a car just once or twice a month for a quick trip to Vons or Spitz.  In addition, the availability of a cheaper alternative to a personal vehicle could dissuade dozens of students to leave their cars at home.

Improving alternative transportation options at Oxy is an inevitable facet of the college’s new push for sustainability.  By providing shared bikes or vehicles to its students, Occidental can maintain its reputation as a parking haven while still fulfilling its years-old promise to work towards a green campus.  Occidental demands much of its students; it’s time that the administration works towards all A’s as well.