Log in
LEED v4.1

Schools – New Construction

Location & Transportation
Access to Quality Transit

LEED CREDIT

Schools-NC-v4.1 LTc5: Access to quality transit 1-4 points

See all forum discussions about this credit »
View the LEED v4 version of this credit »

SPECIAL REPORT

LEEDuser expert

Marilyn Specht

Introba
Vice President & Managing Principal, US Sustainability

SPECIAL REPORT

LEEDuser’s viewpoint

Frank advice from LEED experts

LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Option 1. Transit-Served Location (1–4 points)
Locate any functional entry of the project within a ¼-mile (400-meter) walking distance of existing or planned bus, streetcar, or informal transit stops, or within a ½-mile (800-meter) walking distance of existing or planned bus rapid transit stops, passenger rail stations, or commuter ferry terminals. The transit service at those stops and stations must meet the minimums listed in Table 1. Planned stops and stations may count if they are sited, funded, and under construction by the date of the certificate of occupancy and are complete within 24 months of that date.
  • For each qualifying transit route, only trips in one direction are counted towards the threshold.
  • If a qualifying transit route has multiple stops within the required walking distance, only trips from one stop are counted towards the threshold.
Table 1. Minimum daily transit service
Weekday trips Points
72 1
144 2
250 3
360 4
Projects served by two or more transit routes such that no one route provides more than 60% of the prescribed levels may earn one additional point, up to the maximum number of points. If existing transit service is temporarily rerouted outside the required distances for less than two years, the project may meet the requirements, provided the local transit agency has committed to restoring the routes with service at or above the prior level. OR
Option 2. Pedestrian Access (1–4 points)
Show that the project has an attendance boundary such that the specified percentages of dwelling units are within no more than a 3/4-mile (1200-meter) walking distance (for grades 8 and below, or ages 14 and below), and 1 1/2-mile (2400-meter) walking distance (for grades 9 and above or ages 15 and above) of a functional entry of a school building. Points are awarded according to Table 2.
Table 2. Points for dwelling units within walking distance
Percentage of dwelling units in attendance boundary Points
50% 1
60% 2
70% or more 4
In addition, locate the project on a site that allows pedestrian access to the site from all residential areas in the attendance boundary. See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Addenda

11/9/2020Updated: 3/1/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
1. Under the heading for the adaptations, insert new path title "Path 1. Access to Public Transit Service"

2. Within the fourth item in the bulleted list of criteria, insert "for Path 1" after "Privately-run shuttles are only acceptable"

3. Within the heading for Table 1 insert "public" between "daily" and "transit"

4. After the paragraph beginning "If existing transit service..." insert the following new language:

OR

Path 2. Access to Project-sponsored Transit Service

Commit to providing year-round transit service (vans, shuttles, buses) for regular occupants and visitors that meets the minimums listed in Table 2, Service must be guaranteed for at least 3 years from the project’s certificate of occupancy.

Within the project boundary, provide at least one transit stop shelter at each transit stop within a ¼-mile (400-meter) walking distance from a functional entry of the project. A building lobby is allowed instead of shelter if the transit stop is visible from inside and located no greater than 200 feet (60 meters) walking distance from the transit stop.

• For each qualifying transit route, total trips (inbound and outbound) are counted towards the threshold.
• If a qualifying transit route has multiple stops within the required walking distance, only trips from one stop are counted towards the threshold.
• Only directly accessible trips within the specified distances are allowed. Trips available from connected transit facilities do not contribute to the minimum trips under Path 2.

Table 2. Minimum daily project-sponsored transit service

Total daily trips Points
30 1
45 2

Provide a guaranteed ride home program for employees who have carpooled, taken transit, walked, or cycled to work but require alternative transportation home for emergencies or unscheduled overtime.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/25/2019Updated: 3/1/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
REVISE Table 1 for all rating systems and adaptations to:

"Table 1. Minimum daily transit service"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/25/2019Updated: 11/6/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Update the second sentence to read as: "The weekend minimum threshold are reduced, and project teams are now allowed to count the weekend day with the higher number of trips rather than the weekend average."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/9/2019Updated: 4/9/2019
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Change the 3 point threshold from 252 to 250.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

LEEDuser expert

Marilyn Specht

Introba
Vice President & Managing Principal, US Sustainability

Get the inside scoop

Our editors have written a detailed analysis of nearly every LEED credit, and LEEDuser premium members get full access. We’ll tell you whether the credit is easy to accomplish or better left alone, and we provide insider tips on how to document it successfully.

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Option 1. Transit-Served Location (1–4 points)
Locate any functional entry of the project within a ¼-mile (400-meter) walking distance of existing or planned bus, streetcar, or informal transit stops, or within a ½-mile (800-meter) walking distance of existing or planned bus rapid transit stops, passenger rail stations, or commuter ferry terminals. The transit service at those stops and stations must meet the minimums listed in Table 1. Planned stops and stations may count if they are sited, funded, and under construction by the date of the certificate of occupancy and are complete within 24 months of that date.
  • For each qualifying transit route, only trips in one direction are counted towards the threshold.
  • If a qualifying transit route has multiple stops within the required walking distance, only trips from one stop are counted towards the threshold.
Table 1. Minimum daily transit service
Weekday trips Points
72 1
144 2
250 3
360 4
Projects served by two or more transit routes such that no one route provides more than 60% of the prescribed levels may earn one additional point, up to the maximum number of points. If existing transit service is temporarily rerouted outside the required distances for less than two years, the project may meet the requirements, provided the local transit agency has committed to restoring the routes with service at or above the prior level. OR
Option 2. Pedestrian Access (1–4 points)
Show that the project has an attendance boundary such that the specified percentages of dwelling units are within no more than a 3/4-mile (1200-meter) walking distance (for grades 8 and below, or ages 14 and below), and 1 1/2-mile (2400-meter) walking distance (for grades 9 and above or ages 15 and above) of a functional entry of a school building. Points are awarded according to Table 2.
Table 2. Points for dwelling units within walking distance
Percentage of dwelling units in attendance boundary Points
50% 1
60% 2
70% or more 4
In addition, locate the project on a site that allows pedestrian access to the site from all residential areas in the attendance boundary.

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.

LEEDuser expert

Marilyn Specht

Introba
Vice President & Managing Principal, US Sustainability

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Unsubscribe from discussions about Schools-NC-v4.1 LTc5