Representatives from around 15 higher education institutions from the U.S. and Canada will get a tour of West Virginia University’s PRT system and other eco-friendly areas of campus Wednesday, Oct. 12 as part of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference.
The tour is part of the annual meeting, held Oct. 9-12 in Pittsburgh. WVU is a master sponsor of the event, along with Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University
“Higher education institutions are always interested in sustainability initiatives, environmental issues and transportation issues and the PRT is a unique model that has been in operation for four decades,” Clement Solomon, WVU’s director of sustainability said. “We’re excited to be able to showcase it to visitors from other institutions, along with the other important sustainability initiatives we engage in daily on campus.”
The PRT, an all electric driverless transit system, is operated by WVU and connects the University’s three campuses with downtown Morgantown. Since it began operation in 1975, the PRT has carried more than 80 million passengers and moves around 15,000 people per day.
The tour will also include a visit to Oglebay Hall, WVU’s first energy efficient building as certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design designation is based on its sustainable features, such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and impact on the environment.
It will also tour Mountaineer Station, an intermodal transportation center that connects the PRT with regional bus service, bicycles and pedestrians, and intercepts vehicles before they reach key inner city congestion points.
An overview of the WVU’s campus sustainability efforts such as the green roof at Brooks Hall, WVU’s energy performance contract, campus recycling, trayless dining and other initiatives will also be presented.
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CONTACT: Clement Solomon
(304) 293-7916