LO: 12-6 Writing Formal Reports

Formal Report: formal reports are longer and have more sections than informal letter and memo reports, containing a title page, letter or memo of transmittal, table of contents, body, references and appendices (pp. 272- 282).

This short and simplified sample shows a title page, memo of transmittal, table of contents, a brief version of the body, and references.

You are a student member of your university’s Sustainable Practices Committee. The committee recently completed a one-year pilot project encouraging faculty, staff and students to choose alternative methods of transportation. The committee has assembled research to evaluate the success of the pilot project.

You are writing a formal report to the Executive Director of the Department of Facilities Management to present and analyze the committee’s findings and make further recommendations.

Getting Around:

Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project

at Memorial University of Newfoundland

Prepared for

Harry DeeleyExecutive Director

Department of Facilities ManagementMemorial University of Newfoundland

Prepared by

Jessica TuckerSustainable Practices Committee

Memorial University of Newfoundland

February 6, 2009

To: Harry Deeley

From: Jessica Tucker

Date: February 6, 2009

Subject: Report on Success of Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project

The Sustainable Practices Committee initiated the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project to encourage faculty, staff and students at the St. John’s Campus to choose methods of transportation other than single-occupant vehicles. This report looks at the effectiveness of the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project, analyzes the committee’s research and makes recommendations on next steps.

Memorial University of Newfoundland is continuing its efforts to implement sustainable environmental practices in its operations. The average car is estimated to release about 5,500 kg of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year. The Climate Action Network reports that transportation produces 25% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Switching to more environmentally-friendly forms of transportation can help lower these numbers.

The specific goals of the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project were to reduce traffic congestion and parking demand on the St. John’s campus, as well as reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality.

People need incentives and support in changing their personal habits. To make alternative forms of transportation easier and more appealing, numerous incentives were put in place. These incentives included subsidized public transit passes, car-pooling programs, a Bike to Work week, expanded bicycle parking and two new bicycle shelters.

Research shows these incentives were successful in increasing the use of alternative forms of transportation among faculty, staff and students. Subsidizing public transit passes contributed the most to reducing traffic congestion and parking problems.

Given the success of the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project, the Sustainable Practices Committee recommends continuing to encourage alternative methods of transportation on the St. John’s campus and expanding these measures to other Memorial University campuses. The committee also recommends studying ways to make the St. John’s campus more pedestrian-friendly.

This report was prepared by various members of the Sustainable Practices Committee and the Department of Facilities Management. In particular, Jenna Hodgkiss, the administrative assistant at the Department of Facilities Management, has been extremely helpful.

i

Table of Contents

Memo of Transmittal..................................................................................................... i

Introduction and Background.......................................................................................1

Purpose........................................................................................................................1

Scope and Limitations..................................................................................................1

Bicycle Transportation.................................................................................................1

Public Transit Passes..................................................................................................2

Car-Pooling..................................................................................................................2

Transportation Audit Results and Analysis..................................................................2

Conclusions.................................................................................................................3

Recommendations.......................................................................................................3

References...................................................................................................................3

ii

Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project

Introduction and Background

Memorial University of Newfoundland, like other universities, cities and organizations, is looking at reducing its impact on the environment. Environmental practices are becoming mainstream, such as recycling, energy conservation, composting and many more.

Memorial University of Newfoundland is committed to introducing sustainable environmental practices on all its campuses. One initiative involves reducing greenhouse gases by encouraging alternative means of transportation.

A Sustainable Practices Committee was formed in 2006 to study ways to reduce the use of cars on campus. In 2007, the committee drafted a proposal for the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project. The pilot project was approved and went into effect for 2008.

Purpose

The Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project had these four goals:

1. To introduce incentives that would encourage faculty, staff and students to choose alternative methods of transportation.

2. To reduce traffic congestion and parking problems.

3. To study whether these incentives changed behaviours.

4. To make recommendations based on the results of the pilot project.

Scope and Limitations

The Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project was limited to the St. John’s campus. It was conducted for the 2008 calendar year and targeted all faculty, staff and students.

An initiative of the Sustainable Practices Committee, the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project also involved the Department of Facilities Management and Metrobus Transit.

Bicycle Transportation

The following incentives were introduced to encourage the use of bicycles on campus: 100 more bicycle parking spaces. Two new bicycle shelters.

A Bike to Work Week.

Getting Around: Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project Page 2

During Bike to Work Week, free commuter cycling courses were also offered to promote the benefits of cycling to work or school or just for fun. Basic bicycle maintenance workshops were also held.

Public Transit Passes

With the Sustainable Practices Committee acting as an intermediary, Memorial University of Newfoundland and St. John’s Metrobus Transit entered into a partnership and created an Employee and Student Transit Pass program. Memorial University and Metrobus Transit subsidized the transit passes for Memorial University faculty, staff and students to reduce the costs of public transportation.

Car-pooling

Incentives to car-pooling were offered, namely preferred parking spots for car-pool vehicles and lower parking fees. The benefits of car-pooling were also promoted through posters placed strategically around campus, emphasizing that car-pooling reduces costs and reduces stress by sharing driving responsibilities.

Transportation Audit Results and Analysis

The Department of Facilities Management conducts yearly transportation audits of its facilities and user surveys. This chart shows preferred transportation methods of survey faculty, staff and students over the last three years.

Transportation Method 2006 2007 2008

Cars with a single driver 59.2% 56.6% 47.7%Car-pooling 15.8% 17.2% 12.9%Public Transit 12.0% 13.5% 22.2%Bicycling 9.2% 10.3% 13.6%Other 3.8% 2.4% 3.6%

During the year of the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project, use of cars with a single driver dropped. Although car-pooling was promoted as a transportation alternative, the number of people car-pooling dropped as well. The use of public transit and bicycling increased.

These results indicate that the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project had the greatest impact in reducing the use of cars and in increasing the use of public transit. It also had some impact on increasing the use of bicycles.

Getting Around: Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project Page 3

The dramatic upswing in the use of public transit shows that when offered the incentive of subsidized public transit passes, people chose public transit over driving.

Other research conducted by the Department of Facilities Management revealed that traffic congestion and parking problems were significantly lower in 2008. Requests for parking permits in 2008 dropped by 15% over the previous year.

Conclusions

In light of the measurable differences in transportation methods, parking permit requests, traffic congestion and public transit use between 2007 and 2008, the Sustainable Practices Committee concludes that the Transportation Alternatives Pilot Project was effective in changing behaviours.

Of all the incentives, subsidizing Metrobus Transit passes received the most response and had the greatest impact on changing behaviours.

Climate and weather conditions limit bicycling as a year-round option, but bicycling is still a reasonably helpful transportation alternative for months with better weather.

Recommendations

The Sustainable Practices Committee recommends the continuation of the Employee and Student Transit Pass program with Metrobus Transit. While car-pooling and bicycling can still be encouraged as alternative methods of transportation, continuing to fund and encourage the use of public transit is likely to bring the most benefits going forward.

The Sustainable Practices Committee also recommends studying ways to make the St. John campus more pedestrian-friendly. More sidewalks and crosswalks could encourage faculty, staff and students who continue to drive to reduce vehicle use when on campus.

The success of this pilot project indicates that there could be benefits in introducing the subsidized public transit pass program to other Memorial University campuses.

References

Memorial University of Newfoundland. (2009). Department of Facilities Management Transportation Audits, 2004-2008.

City of St. John’s. (2009). 2008 Metrobus Transit Annual Report. St. John’s, NL: The Municipality.