Page 67 - The Engineering Guide to LEED-New Construction Sustainable Construction for Engineers

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AND
• Frequency of service must be such that at least 200 transit rides per day are available in
total at these stops. A combination of rail and bus is allowable. This strategy is based
on the assumption that the threshold of the base credit would provide, in most cases,
at least 50 transit rides per day (half-hourly service 24 hours per day or more frequent
service for less than 24 hours per day). If, on average, transit ridership increases by 0.5
percent for every 1.0% increase in transit service, then quadrupling the number of
rides available would, on average, double the transit ridership (4 × 50 rides = 200 rides).
Include a transit schedule and map within your LEED certification submittal.
A summary of the credit criteria and exemplary performance criteria for the entire
Alternative Transportation subcategory is given in Table 2.4.1.

SS Credit 4.1: Alternative Transportation—Public Transportation Access

USGBC Rating System
The first Alternative Transportation credit, 4.1, provides for access to public
transportation as an alternative to SOVs. This credit is noted with the icon EB as it may
be very costly to provide these services at a site where they are not already available.
The applicable forms of public transport are commuter-type rail service and bus lines.
The credit was worth one point in LEED 2.2 and is worth six points in LEED 2009 for
essentially the same criteria. LEED-NC 2.2 lists the Intent, Requirements, and Potential
Technologies and Strategies for this credit as follows, with minor modifications as noted
for LEED 2009:
Intent
Reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use.
Requirements
LEED 2009 Option 1: Locate project within ½ mile of an existing—or planned and funded—
commuter rail, light rail, or subway station (measured from a main building entrance as per
LEED 2009).
OR
LEED 2009 Option 2: Locate project within ¼ mile of one or more stops for two or more
public or campus bus lines usable by building occupants (measured from a main building
entrance as per LEED 2009).

Potential Technologies and Strategies
Perform a transportation survey of future building occupants to identify transportation
needs. Site the building near mass transit.
Calculations and Considerations
To confirm adherence to this credit, a vicinity map should be provided showing the
project location and the location of the applicable rail/subway station (Option 1) or the
applicable bus stops (Option 2). The ½-mi or ¼-mi distances required, respectively, are
usually not a straight line from the property site, but are rather an appropriate pedestrian
pathway from the site to the public transportation station or stop. These pathways must
be shown on the vicinity map. The submittal also must include a listing of the stations/
stops and the pedestrian distances traveled to get there from the site. The rail or subway
station must be for use by commuters. The bus lines may or may not be from the same
company or agency; the important thing is that they are separate lines and usable by the