Blog
Ellie Howard ’25 talks about Alternative Transportation on Furman’s campus
Furman University is a small campus with extremely accessible sidewalks and bike paths. However, we have hundreds of cars on campus and students driving short distances to go to class.
My name is Ellie Howard and I am the Alterative Transportation Fellow. My main goal is to create and continue with projects that reduce driving on campus. I work with other departments including University Communications and Facilities Services to promote using the trolley to get around campus. Additionally, I collaborated with Furman University Police to add more stops on the trolley route and share data about cars and bikes on campus.
My favorite aspect of this fellowship is the Furman University Paladins on Bikes (FUPOB) program that I oversee. Managing the bike rental program allows me to meet new students and brainstorm ways to promote and expand for the future.
Here I am with Shi Student Fellow Summer Marsden ’25. Did you know Furman even has a seven-seater bike?
Furman is a very bikeable campus with the Swamp Rabbit Trail connecting us to two bike-friendly cities. The program has so much potential and one of my main (and most challenging) goals for this year is to get more funding so we can provide Furman students with the reliable, fun and sustainable transportation of biking for more years to come!
These projects and programs are important for Furman’s larger sustainability issues because we want to eventually become carbon neutral! Creating and promoting alternative means of transportation on our beautiful campus is a vital aspect of this goal.
We must take advantage of our accessible landscape and take steps towards reducing our carbon footprint.
Simply taking a 10-minute walk to class instead of driving can make an impact.
Or, take advantage of the FREE trolley that goes around campus Monday through Friday in the mornings and afternoons! We have added two additional stops at Trone and near the police station to reach even more students. A tracker can be found with a list of stops on the Alternative Transportation webpage.
We have fun and sustainable transportation options at our disposal as students. Let’s use these and say “FU” to carbon emissions.