Cornell planners want to learn about the commuting needs and choices of the university's faculty, staff and students as part of a transportation study that will be used to develop strategies and options to reduce or avoid adverse transportation impacts of potential population growth at Cornell in the coming years.

During the month of April, approximately 15,000 randomly selected members of the Cornell community will receive surveys asking questions about their transportation habits and needs. The results of these on-campus surveys, which include input from the University Assembly, Employee Assembly, Graduate and Professional Students Assembly, Undergraduate Student Assembly, Transportation Advisory Committee, Kyoto Now and Cornell Sustainability Campus, will be tabulated in the impact statement along with public feedback gleaned from outreach efforts with surrounding community leaders and residents.

"The results of this study will provide tools that Cornell can utilize in future plans to manage parking and commuting needs -- and their impact on the town of Ithaca and other communities surrounding Cornell," said Bill Wendt, director of Cornell Transportation Services. "A crucial element to any future solution will include an effort to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles coming to campus each day, whether they are students, faculty or staff."

Cornell community members -- including students as requested by the Redbud Woods Agreement of last summer -- who are selected to participate in the survey will receive an e-mail message with a link to an online survey. Their participation is vital to obtaining an accurate assessment of the Cornell community's needs, values and habits regarding commuting.

In return for their participation, the university will enroll those who fill out the survey in a drawing for $500 gift certificates, round trips on the Cornell Campus-to-Campus bus service between the Ithaca campus and Manhattan, and iPods.

For more information about the transportation study, officially termed a transportation-focused environmental impact statement, visit http://www.tgeisproject.org.