The Alternative Vehicle Showcase featured a variety of exhibits and alternative methods of transportation, ranging from horses to electric cars, in an effort to highlight the different university services and vehicle options available to NC State students Wednesday on the Brickyard.
Electric cars and hybrids were showcased, including the university’s Zipcars, the ride-share service sponsored by the Transportation Department. The lineup included flex fuel vehicles, a Nissan Leaf, and a Toyota Prius to advocate for fuel-efficient vehicle transportation.
“We just want to make students aware of the alternative options of transportation available to them through the school and even the City of Raleigh,” according to Carla Davis, communications coordinator for the NC State Sustainability Office.
University Recreation’s free bike clinic checked student bikes in the Brickyard, to advocate for campus bicycle transportation.
“We fix bikes for free every week from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays outside of the Outdoor Adventures building,” said Dylan Lawson, a junior studying Civil Engineering. “We’re just bike mechanics fixing up bikes.”
The NC State Stewards were also a part of the event, focusing on educating students about sustainability projects on campus.
“As State Stewards, we work to make actual changes happen at NCSU,” said Amelia Fujikawa, the student coordinator for the State Stewards and a senior studying Environmental Science. “We like making ourselves present at events like this, to talk to interested students.”
The University Police Department also had a presence at the event, with officers on horses and Segways.
“Students are more comfortable approaching officers using alternative forms of transportation,” said Sergeant Tim Hammonds. “They serve as a conversation-starter sometimes too.”
The police department exhibit focused heavily on bike transportation, with pamphlets on bicycle safety, and armbands for walking and biking pedestrians.
The NC Clean Energy Tech Center, a College of Engineering public service, exhibited its statewide social media campaign, “Fuel What Matters.” Students posted pictures of themselves using clean transportation on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #FuelWhatMatters, and they were entered for a chance to win a $100 cash prize.
“The purpose of the campaign is to promote clean non-petroleum based transportation across the state,” said Moses Ifamose, a clean transportation consultant and a graduate student studying Technical Communications.
The NC Clean Energy Tech Center also sponsors Energy Talks, an on-campus lecture series.
“Energy Talks brings experts to campus to discuss the clean energy economy and careers in the field,” said Michael Terreri, a Clean Transportation Specialist for the NC Clean Energy Technology Center.
The showcase was a joint effort between the Sustainability Office, University Recreation, the Transportation Department and the Energy Management department, Davis said.
