A Greener Way to Go
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., accounting for nearly 27% of all the planet-warming gases produced in our country. The bulk of these emissions (almost 60%) come from the nation’s 250 million passenger vehicles.
UNE is committed to making alternative modes of transportation accessible to its community, with the hope of keeping the number of passenger vehicles on the road to a minimum. Explore ways that you can reduce your transportation-related carbon footprint on and around campus. Take a bus, share a Lyft ride, carpool, bike, or take advantage of our on-campus electric vehicle charging stations. At UNE, there is always a greener way to go.
Buses
Silver Line and Local Connections
Offering a regular schedule seven days a week, BSOOB Transit’s Silver Line transports UNE faculty, professional staff, and students to and from the Biddeford Campus and the Saco Transportation Center. From there, you can switch to several local buses to provide more flexibility for your commute. You just need to present a UNE ID card. Visit the BSOOB Transit website for routes, schedules, and the new bus locator tool.
Check out the local bus tracking app to find BSOOB buses
Regional Connections
UNE students, faculty, and professional staff can ride the Greater Portland Metro and South Portland buses for free with University ID cards. Greater Portland Metro services Westbrook, Falmouth, the Portland peninsula, and as far north as Freeport and Brunswick. South Portland buses service the Southern Maine Community College and Willard Beach areas, the Maine Mall area, and in between, and they connect with GP Metro on the Portland peninsula.
BSOOB Transit’s Zoom Turnpike Express offers weekday service from the Biddeford and Saco turnpike exits and from the Saco Transportation Center to downtown Portland.
Carpooling at UNE
GO MAINE Commuter Connections is an online rideshare resource sponsored by the Maine Turnpike Authority and Maine Department of Transportation. These organizations have created a UNE-specific landing page for our faculty, professional staff, and students. Registering takes only minutes, and a tip sheet (PDF) to help users search broadly enough to find commuting partners but narrowly enough to make carpooling a pleasant experience for everyone is provided. GO MAINE also offers rewards in the form of local vendor discounts and online coupons when users track their rideshares.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Maine’s electricity grid is powered by a minimum of 30% renewable energy sources, so driving an electric vehicle emits less carbon than fossil fuel-powered vehicles. In an effort to encourage the adoption of this transportation alternative and support a lower-carbon transportation system, UNE provides charging stations on the Portland and Biddeford Campuses for our UNE community.
UNE faculty, professional staff, and students must purchase an EV add-on decal along with their approved parking permit. The decal is $40 and can be purchased at ThePermitStore. You must park in the parking lots identified by your parking permit, regardless of EV status.
Purchasing an EV add-on decal will register you in our EV Owner Collaborative program, where you will receive access to the contact information of other UNE charging station users. You will receive periodic updates about the program and expansion efforts, and have the ability to coordinate with other users.
Visitors should email the Office of Safety and Security to obtain a day pass for charging on campus. Charging is on a first-come, first-served basis and is not guaranteed, please plan accordingly.
New signage has been installed at charging station locations that provide instructions for charging access. Please email the Sustainability Office or Office of Safety and Security with questions.
Biddeford Campus
- Alfond Forum Lot 31 General: Two Level 2 charging ports with four designated parking spaces in the parking lot
- Campus Center Lot 20 Faculty/Staff/Commuter Students: Four Level 2 charging ports with eight designated parking spaces
- Campus Center
- Campus Center Lot 7 Faculty/Staff: Two Level 2 charging ports with two designated parking spaces against the rear of the building, these chargers were installed with a grant that requires UNE to make them available to the public until February 2025, while this lot is restricted to faculty/staff parking, community members are also currently allowed to charge here
- Alumni Cottage Lot 1 Faculty/Staff: Two Level 2 charging ports with two designated parking spaces
Portland Campus
- Bishop Street Lot 11 Faculty/Staff/Students: Three Level 2 charging ports with four designated parking spaces behind the bus warming shelter. look for charging station closure announcements due to lot reconstruction
- Alexander Hall: Two Level 1 outlets against the rear of the building, with two first-come, first-served parking spaces
- Ginn Hall Lot 5 Faculty/Staff/Students: Two Level 1 outlets against the rear of the building, with two first-come, first-served parking spaces
- Abplanalp Library Lot 6 Faculty/Staff/Students: Two Level 1 outlets against the rear of the building, with one first-come, first-served parking space
Expansions Coming Soon
There will be additional EV charging capacity at the Bishop Street Lot in fall 2023 and behind the new Harold and Bibbey Alfond Center for Health Sciences in fall 2024.
Nor'Easter Bike Share
To register for the Nor’easter Bike Share program, download the On-Bike Share app on your Android or Apple phone. Register using your UNE email, and complete the prompts that follow. You will use the app to check out and return bikes as well as report damage or maintenance needs.
The program is free, and bikes are available at three locations: Campus Center, Forum, and Padua residence hall.
Rental periods are four hours. You can use the integrated bike lock to secure the bike to any rack during your rental period. You can see a list of bike rack locations on the Outdoor Recreation webpage.
Bikes may be taken off campus and transported on the Silver Line or other public buses. Bikes must be docked at one of the three docking stations at the end of your rental period or by 11 p.m.
For questions or concerns about the Nor’easter Bike Share program, contact the Coordinator of Outdoor Education and Recreation at (207) 602-2495.
Big Blue Goes Green Incentives
Bringing a car to campus is expensive. Parking permits are prorated following each quarter and parking spaces are not guaranteed. There are lots of ways to get around without bringing a car to campus. Additionally, first-year and transfer residential students (incoming fall classes only) who opt not to bring a car to campus may qualify for $300 financial incentives* for leaving your car at home. This year's incentives include:
- $300 Flex dollars useable at select dining venues on and off campus
- $300 Follett gift card useable at UNE Bookstore
- $300 Lyft credit
*If you purchase a permit later, you will be billed for the cost of your incentive. Limited to your first year at UNE.
Lyft Ride Share
In addition to offering free Lyft credits as an incentive for first-year students to leave their cars at home, UNE encourages students to use Lyft for trips that don’t coincide with the bus schedule.
The Biddeford Campus has two designated Lyft pickup and drop-off locations, at the Campus Center and Alfond Forum bus shelters. The app is free and can be used to hail a ride, connect with your driver, and pay for the ride.
If you have a car, are over 25 years of age, need a flexible work schedule, and would like a little extra cash in your pocket, consider becoming a Lyft driver. Having Lyft drivers on campus increases the efficiency, cost, and environmental effectiveness of the service. It’s great when we can help each other get around and service our own community.
Contact
For More Information
Office of Sustainability
Facilities Management/Safety and Security 132
Biddeford Campus
(207) 602-2507