Connect with UW-Madison commuters on RoundTrip’s new ride matching platform

The RoundTrip program of the Greater Madison MPO has upgraded their online platform to help local commuters connect with convenient alternatives to driving alone. The free platform features a private UW-Madison RoundTrip network for employees or students who want to ride, bike, or walk together for daily commutes and one-time trips.

Logo for RoundTrip, a ridematching servicing operated by Greater Madison MPO.
Logo for RoundTrip, a ridematching servicing operated by Greater Madison MPO.

RoundTrip’s ride matching platform allows commuters to explore affordable, sustainable transportation options including carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, and public transit. Features of the new platform include a multimodal trip planner with ride matching capabilities, a RideBoard for one-time trips, a personalized dashboard, and incentives programs. The online platform is also accessible in Spanish and Hmong.

For additional access options, users can download the CommuteTracker mobile app by RideAmigos for Android or iOS to access trip planning features and trip logging for incentives programs.

How to register for the UW-Madison RoundTrip network

Those with a valid @wisc.edu email address (including sub-domains) may choose to join the private UW-Madison RoundTrip network. A special link is required to join the private UW-Madison network. Click the button below or copy/paste the link into a browser to register:

https://roundtripgreatermadison.org/#/networks/638a5cbdd239e52a6f123328?join=jhymjl

Register for UW-Madison RoundTrip Network

Curious about carpooling to campus?

Carpooling is a great way to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips to campus. UW Transportation Services operates a carpool program with benefits and incentives for carpool members.

RoundTrip is one way for UW employees to locate other carpool members. Two or more employees who drive together most of the time can register a carpool, and three or more can apply for a UW carpool permit. Carpool permit applications get top priority during the annual permit application process. Learn about the benefits of the UW-Madison carpool program and how to apply.

For more questions about active and multimodal commuting, contact the Commuter Solutions team at tdm@fpm.wisc.edu or complete a Custom Route Planning form.

Learn more about RoundTrip

RoundTrip encourages all residents and commuters to make transportation choices like walking, bicycling, carpooling, public transit, and telework a daily habit. With over 70% of Dane County commuters driving alone to work pre-pandemic, these choices contribute to a more affordable, sustainable, and equitable transportation system, and a higher quality of life for all as Dane County grows. Learn more at roundtripgreatermadison.org.

2023 biennial transportation survey launches February 2

The 2023 biennial campus transportation survey is launching February 2! A sample group of UW-Madison students, faculty/staff, and UW hospital employees will receive a Qualtrics invitation to participate in the survey.

Please monitor your Wiscmail or UW Health email account for an invitation. Emails come from the Qualtrics survey software, so the email “From” line will have a “@qualtrics-survey.com” address. Not everyone on campus is part of the sample group, so not everyone will receive an invitation.

Your participation is very important and greatly appreciated! Your responses help us understand how campus community members travel to campus and will shape the future of the UW-Madison transportation system.

The survey is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, Tibetan, and Nepali.

The survey can only be taken once and should take about 5-7 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous. The survey closes Friday, March 10 at 5 p.m.

If you have questions about the survey or have trouble completing the survey, please email tdm@fpm.wisc.edu.

What happens to the results? Information is reviewed and compiled into a report. Previous biennial survey report information can be found on the Transportation Services “About” page (see “surveys and reports” section).

UW-Madison earns Best Universities for Commuters designation

Campus bus route 80 travels down Linden Drive as the sun sets.

UW-Madison has been recognized as one of the nation’s Best Universities for Commuters in 2021. The designation is given by Best Workplaces for Commuters, a program operated by the Center for Urban Transportation Research.

The UW campus community uses diverse transportation methods to commute to and from campus. A significant percentage of the campus population chooses alternative or active transportation methods, such as riding the bus or biking. According to UW Transportation Services’ biennial transportation modes survey, between 67 – 70% of UW employees, students, and UW Hospital and Clinics employees did not drive alone to campus in 2020, depending on weather.Logo for 2021 Best Universities for Commuters. In December 2021 UW-Madison earned a Best Universities for Commuters Designation from the Center for Urban Transportation Research.

UW-Madison offers multiple benefits to students and employees who use alternative or active transportation modes for their campus commutes. Some of these benefits include discounted bus passes, bike parking and storage, and park and ride shuttle service.

“UW-Madison is one of the top universities in the nation offering high-level commuter benefits to employees and students,” according to the Best Workplaces for Commuters. “These comprehensive benefits give commuters the support they need to get to and from campus and impact the campus climate in a positive way.”

Campuses recognized as Best Universities for Commuters must demonstrate at least one primary commute benefit, such as an Emergency Ride Home program, plus three supporting benefits, such as park and ride shuttles or carpool matching services. These benefits must result in at least 14% of the commuting population not driving alone to a worksite within a 12-month period.

“We are extremely proud that our progressive Commuter Solutions programming gives employees and students many alternatives to driving alone to campus,” said Patrick Kass, Associate Vice Chancellor, Transportation Services. “Our benefits also reduce traffic congestion and reduce harm to the environment.”

UW’s Best Universities for Commuters designation was supported by benefits such as:

  • Discounted bus passes. The Associated Students of Madison (ASM) and UW Transportation Services negotiate a reduced cost-per-ride with Madison Metro Transit for UW students and employees, reducing the cost from $2.00 to approximately $1.35 per ride.
  • Carpool benefits. Members of registered carpools receive six complimentary full-day parking permits per year and save money by sharing the cost of an annual parking permit.
  • Discounted BCycle membership. All UW students, employees, and affiliates are eligible for a reduced BCycle membership to access 300 electric bikes at 40+ stations throughout the city of Madison.
  • SAFEwalk is a free walking companionship service supporting nighttime safety for UW students, employees, and visitors walking on campus at night.
  • Emergency Ride Home. UW employees who carpool, vanpool, bus, bike, walk, or use a park and ride may use a voucher to cover the cost of a cab ride home in case of emergencies.

Learn more about services supporting multimodal campus commutes on the UW Transportation Services’ Commuter Solutions webpage.

This image shows several UW students walking and biking across a busy intersection on University Avenue on a fall day. The image shows how many members of the campus community use multiple forms of active transportation to get around on campus.
Pedestrians and students walk among the colors of the fall leaves along University Avenue at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during autumn on November 2, 2021. (Photo by Bryce Richter / UW-Madison)

About Best Workplaces for Commuters

The Best Workplaces for Commuters Program launched in 2002 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled the Best Workplaces for Commuters List. In 2007 the National Center for Transportation Research (NCTR) at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) assumed program management for the Best Workplaces for Commuters program. The CUTR is a nationally recognized research institution that provides reliable transportation research to policymakers, transportation professionals, and the transportation system.

Learn more about the BWC program on the Best Workplaces for Commuters website.

Read about the Center for Urban Transportation Research.

About UW-Madison Transportation Services

UW Transportation Services is a department within Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M) on the UW-Madison campus. The department’s mission is to provide innovative transportation solutions to serve and support UW Madison. Transportation Services is responsible for the coordination and administration of all transportation-related services for the UW campus community.

2021 campus parking and transportation survey launch

A new campus parking and transportation survey has launched! A sample group of UW–Madison students, faculty/staff, and UW hospital employees will receive a Qualtrics survey invitation to participate in this customer satisfaction biennial survey. The results of this survey will help UW Transportation Services understand how well parking and transportation-related products and services are serving the UW campus community.

Your participation is very important and greatly appreciated! Those who respond help shape the future of the UW–Madison transportation system.

The survey can only be taken once and should take about 5-7 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous. Emails come from the Qualtrics survey software, so the email “From” line will have a “@qualtrics-survey.com” address.

The question prompts will tell you what to consider when you answer.

Those who have questions about the survey or have trouble completing the survey can send an email to customerservice@fpm.wisc.edu.

What happens to the results? Information will reviewed and compiled into a report. The report will be posted with results of previous transportation modes survey reports. Transportation modes survey report information can be found on the Transportation Services “About” page (see “surveys and reports” section).

ParkMobile security notification – user data breach

ParkMobile, the contracted vendor for the UW–Madison timed parking (pay-by-cell “meters”) and Flex parking programs, released a security notification update on April 13, 2021 about a cybersecurity incident affecting some of their user data. Read the ParkMobile security notification (Source: support.parkmobile.io)

From the ParkMobile notification update:

Our investigation concluded that encrypted passwords, but not the encryption keys needed to read them, were accessed. While we protect user passwords by encrypting them with advanced hashing and salting technologies, as an added precaution, users may consider changing their passwords in the “Settings” section of [your account].

Our investigation has confirmed that basic user information – license plate numbers and, if provided by the user, email addresses and/or phone numbers, and vehicle nicknames – was accessed. In a small percentage of cases, mailing addresses were affected. No credit cards or parking transaction history were accessed, and we do not collect Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, or dates of birth.

Questions about this security breach should be directed to ParkMobile. (Source: support.parkmobile.io)

ParkMobile recommends users consider changing their ParkMobile passwords. The UW–Madison Office of Cybersecurity (Source: it.wisc.edu) additionally recommends users who may have used the same username and password across multiple sites/systems make sure to change their login information in all locations.

The Office of Cybersecurity also strongly recommends against reusing passwords on multiple sites. Using a password manager is a helpful tool for securely saving multiple usernames and unique passwords. Anyone with an active UW–Madison email address is eligible to sign up for a free LastPass password manager account (Source: it.wisc.edu/services). Read more information in End Your Password Struggles with LastPass Enterprise (Source: it.wisc.edu/news).

Additional cybersecurity resources from DoIT:

Survey launched on campus parking and transportation during COVID-19

How has the campus response to COVID-19 impacted parking and transportation to, from, and around the UW-Madison campus?

A sample group of UW-Madison students, faculty/staff, and UW Hospital employees were sent an email invitation for a Qualtrics survey about their experiences with UW parking and transportation during the campus response to COVID-19. Responses will help Transportation Services understand how to best meet campus parking and transportation needs throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey can only be taken once and should take 5-7 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous. The survey closes Thursday, April 1 at 5 p.m. Emails come from the Qualtrics survey software, so the email “From” line will have a “@qualtrics-survey.com” address.

Please note: the survey asks about experiences with parking and transportation on campus over the past twelve months.

Those who have questions about the survey or have trouble completing the survey can send an email to customerservice@fpm.wisc.edu.

New electric vehicle charging stations added, now available in 13 locations

There are now even more opportunities to “park greener” at UW-Madison. Twelve new electric vehicle charging (EVC) stalls were added across six parking facilities in the past two months, for a total of 36 stalls in two surface lot and 11 parking garage/ramp locations. The latest addition of EVC stations is in the new Linden Drive Garage (Lot 67), which opened January 13, 2021.

Expanding the electric vehicle charging program is part of Transportation Services’ mission to support sustainability while also pursuing transportation technology that benefits our customers. The first EVC stations were installed in summer 2014. Over 31,000 charging sessions have been recorded since then, saving the equivalent of nearly 105,000 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Use of the charging stations is cost-free to permit holders and paid visitor parking customers for up to four hours. You must have a ChargePoint account in order to use a campus charging station. (Excludes the Lot 64 station, as it is not a ChargePoint model.) Signing up for a ChargePoint account is cost-free and allows you access to all ChargePoint network stations. Learn how to create a ChargePoint account

Charging stations are located on the first floor of the following ramps and garages (lot location information):

  • Grainger Hall Garage (Lot 7)
  • Engineering Drive Ramp (Lot 17)
  • University Avenue Ramp (Lot 20)
  • North Park Street Ramp (Lot 29)
  • Observatory Drive Ramp (Lot 36)
  • Lake & Johnson Ramp (Lot 46)
  • WARF – Yellow Stalls (Lot 64)
  • Linden Drive Ramp (Lot 67)
  • Health Sciences Learning Center (Lot 74)
  • UW Hospital Ramp (Lot 75)
  • University Bay Drive Ramp (Lot 76)
  • Fluno Center Garage (Lot 83)
  • Health Sciences Garage (Lot 95)

Information on how to use an electric vehicle charging station can be found on the parking lots and facilities webpage. Usage rules and restrictions can be found in the electric vehicle charging policy (PDF).

Mendez Named Director of Transportation Operations

Gabe Mendez portrait
Gabe Mendez

Arnold (Gabe) Mendez has accepted the position of Director of Transportation Operations in FP&M Transportation Services. He begins work on August 30, 2020.

Mendez brings more than 18 years of experience in transportation operations to UW-Madison. He is currently the Assistant Director of Parking and Transit at Arizona State University where he has worked since 2008. Prior to this position he worked with Downtown Mesa Association on special event parking and enforcement programs with the City of Mesa and with Standard Parking on projects in Phoenix, Arizona.

“I am very excited to have Gabe join our team,” says Patrick Kass, Director of Transportation Services. “His leadership and experience will help us continue to improve our programs to meet the needs of the campus.”

Mendez holds a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (History & Political Science) from Arizona State University. He is a member of the Southwest Parking & Transportation Association (SWPTA) and the International Parking Institute (IPI), serving in leadership positions in both organizations.

He succeeds James Bogan, who is now Director of Facilities Management for the FP&M Physical Plant.

Transportation Services operational response to COVID-19 (coronavirus)

Updated 7/16/20 1 p.m.

We recognize these are unprecedented times and circumstances, and campus operations are rapidly changing. The following will help clarify transportation and parking efforts to support essential UW, UW Health, and UW affiliate employees.

Campus is restricted to essential and certain approved operations, although planning for reopening has begun. Stay tuned to smartrestart.wisc.edu for the most up-to-date campus information and related resources. Details are fluid and may change frequently.

Transportation Services operations are reduced until campus directives say non-essential operations can resume. This post is a working document and will be updated with operational changes as new information becomes available.

Customer Service Locations

All Transportation Services office locations are closed as of March 18. Offices will be closed until campus directives state non-essential operations may reopen.

Customer emails will be addressed as necessary during this closure. Calls will be returned when possible. More detailed responses will follow when offices reopen. Questions about transportation during reduced campus operations can be sent to customerservice@fpm.wisc.edu.

    • Citation appeals and fee payments are once again being collected. No escalation of fees will occur until our customer service locations reopen.
    • Product returns and refunds7/15/20 update: All 2019-20 purchases “active” as of March 23 will be refunded for the period of March 23 – August 31. See the updated guidance on product refunds and returns/cancellations for details.

Parking

Park and rides

Park and ride lots are open per normal schedule—no overnight or weekend parking. There is no shuttle service as of March 19. As per relaxed campus parking rules (see below), park and ride permit holders may park on campus in certain lots.

Details on park and ride service for fall 2020 will be shared when available.

Campus Parking

Until August 31, no parking permit or payment is required to park in most* surface lots and gated lots (ramps and garages). All timed “meter” (through vendor ParkMobile) stalls do not require payment. Flex permit holders do not need to start a paid parking session.

*Exceptions: There are certain controlled parking areas: high security areas, areas vital to researchers, and some lots near UW Hospital. A lot specific permit is required to park in these areas.

  • Controlled as of 3/17/20: Lot 11 (Bascom Hall), Lot 23 (Van Hise Garage), Lot 38 (Microbial Sciences Garage), and Lot 95 (HSLC Garage).
  • Controlled as of 3/23/20: Lot 13, 22, 51, 54, 56, 74, 81 and 82. If you do not have a lot specific permit for one of these surface lots but need access for your work, please email customerservice@fpm.wisc.edu with the subject line “Requesting access for parking in [insert Lot #]”.
  • Controlled as of 5/11/20: At the request of UW Hospital administration, Lot 75 is restricted to UW Hospital and AFCH patients, visitors and Lot 75 permit holders.

For safety reasons, vehicles must be properly parked inside the lines for marked stalls and cannot park in restricted areas (ex. access aisle, fire lane, blocking someone in, etc.) or reserved stalls. Reserved stalls are specially signed and include department reserved, service/vendor and UW disabled stalls. A state DOT disabled permit or plate is required for use of UW disabled stalls.
Essential employee parking map (PDF)

Note: Campus buildings are closed and parking attached to those buildings may be impacted. This list will be updated as information is available:

  • Lot 80 is open, but Union South is closed. Foot traffic can use the open stairwell to access the Dayton Street patio area. Accessible parking is available in the circular drive off Dayton Street, between Union South and Computer Sciences.

UW administration has approved September 1 as the restart date for all campus resuming parking enforcement and payment for parking. Vehicles on campus will need to have a UW permit or use a visitor parking option. UW and UW affiliate employees who will need 2020-21 parking should consider what type of parking permit will best fit their needs and check out summer 2020 parking application deadlines for important dates.

Resources

Transportation

Fleet Services

Due to campus travel restrictions, fleet reservations with a start date before 8/17/20 can not be created via the reservation portal. For more information, please contact Fleet at (608) 262-1307.

Details on campus travel restrictions found at covid19.wisc.edu/faqs/#c19-faq-travel.

Bus service

Madison Metro Transit has implemented service changes and reduced operations. Find full, up-to-date details on the Metro COVID-19 service update webpage. The Metro website details which routes will run and their respective schedules.

Campus service is on recess schedule, when only Route 80 and 84 operate. Regular academic year service will resume August 23, 2020. Additional information on fall 2020 operations will be shared when available.

As of March 24, Metro is using a “rear door access only” process. This will minimize the number of passengers passing closely by drivers.  Only passengers who use a wheelchair or need assistance will use the front door. All other riders enter and exit through the rear door.

Metro is limiting bus capacity to 20 people (capacity as of 7/13/20) to allow for CDC recommended physical distancing. Metro will also be increasing the number of buses on select routes with high ridership in order to meet demand while still maintaining the set maximum capacity.

Need help figuring out how to get to campus with these changes? Email tdm@fpm.wisc.edu for assistance. And if you’re using Google Maps, set the date of travel to a Saturday to see a recommended travel plan.

Campus accessible circulator shuttle

Accessible circulator shuttle does not operate during summer recess. Service will resume September 2; more updates on fall 2020 service plans will be shared when available.

SAFEwalk

SAFEwalk is closed starting March 18. Service will resume August 23; more updates on fall 2020 service plans will be shared when available.

University Bicycle Resource Center

The University Bicycle Resource Center is closed and all UBRC courses for the spring semester were canceled to follow the campus directive to cancel non-essential group gatherings.

All “air and repair” locations are available.

Updates on URBC status and events will be provided as they are available.

The overall campus situation is being monitored and adjustments to Transportation Services operations will be made as needed. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

Again—please visit smartrestart.wisc.edu and covid19.wisc.edu for the most up-to-date campus information and related resources.