Forum discussion

NC-v4 LTc6:Bicycle facilities

Campus approach

Dear All,

 

we are applying the Campus Approach to certify a set of buildings within the same site (using the LEED NC BD+C v4).

 

We are using the guidance of the following document: LEED Campus Guidance For Projects on a Shared Site - Applicable to LEED 2009 and LEED v4 Design and Construction, and Operations and Maintenance Rating Systems, Updated April 1, 2014.

 

According to the above referred document, LT C6 Bicycle Facilities is eligible for the Campus Approach. However, we could not find specific guidance related with the following issues:

 

  1. requirements related with the distance between the racks and building entrances. Is it necessary to respect , for each building, the maximum distance ? If yes, what is the difference / advantage of using the campus approach instead of a single building approach ?
  2. can we install all the showers in a single building, accessible to all campus occupants ? If yes, is there any distance requirement between the building where the showers are installed and other campus buindings ? If no (i.e., it is necessary to install showers in each building) what is the difference / advantage of using the campus approach instead of a single building approach ?

 

Can you provide us with guidance / clarifications related with the use o campus approach for this specific credit ?

 

 

Thanks in advance

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Sat, 06/19/2021 - 23:22

I also need to know the answer to this. Were you able to clarify how teams are supposed to measure the distance or is acceptable as long as the bike parking is within the campus boundary?

Sat, 07/16/2022 - 17:51

I am also looking for the answer to this question. Were either of you able to submit your projects and receive guidance on the distance requirement?

Thu, 09/01/2022 - 01:29

We are also looking for an answer on this.  Would love to know if there is an advantage to applying the Campus Approach for bike parking.

Thu, 09/01/2022 - 22:59

I have only used a campus approach for the bicycle credit on projects that have a controlled entry point (like a military installation).  So the "entry" is the main campus gate or entry building through which all occupants must access the campus. That is where you take your measurements from.  For an open campus, it might be more complicated.  I would reach out to LEED coach regarding how to approach. 

Fri, 09/02/2022 - 00:37

I briefly attempted this for a higher ed campus; it did not work out for us b/c of the shower aspect. I did contact LEED Coach (back in '18) asking the following:
"We are looking at the showers requirements for the Bicycle Facilities credit. Our project is an academic classroom building in the middle of a university campus. The campus has several athletic facilities nearby that have showers/changing rooms available for all of our FTEs and students. They cannot justify adding showers in individual buildings b/c they already have the other dedicated use buildings to serve this purpose. The university has a robust support system in place for biking around campus and will be providing the required racks at the project site; their entire campus is limited to 15 mph for bike safety and are connected to plentiful amenities...it's just the showers requirement that is precluding us from earning this credit.
The Reference Guide language was updated after the electronic PDF was published and now reads: "On-site shower facilities should be available to all project occupants without cost during the project's hours of operation and be within reasonable walking distance from long-term bicycle storage."

Would our project scenario count as being "on-site?"
Is there a way to document the campus features that this building is part of?
Please advise."
  This was their response:
"Per the credit requirements, showers must be located “on-site”, meaning within the LEED project boundary, to earn LTc Bicycle Facilities. That said, if there are special circumstances and the showers are located just outside the LEED project in a neighboring campus building, that scenario will be considered on a case-by-case basis if documentation is provided to confirm: - Sufficient shower capacity. Include supplemental calculations confirming that sufficient shower facilities have been provided to serve all occupants with access to the amenities, including individuals who are not part of the LEED project.
- The LEED project occupants will have full access to the shower facilities and that the building containing the shower facilities is open at least during the same hours as the LEED project, and
- The LEED project occupants are/will be made aware of the shower access.
Alternately, the project team may submit a CIR to confirm whether a non-standard approach will be accepted."
Probably doesn't answer your exact question, but hopefuly helps some. I agree with Erin, when in doubt, ask LEED Coach.

Thu, 10/20/2022 - 18:10

I'm also looking for the same answer for question 1. Would like to understand the requirements between racks and building entrances for campus certification?

Mon, 10/24/2022 - 17:42

The distance requirement for bicycle storage still applies for a campus approach.  So, one would have to factor in each building entrances, the number of occupants at each building, and size and place the bike racks accordingly.  However, if a campus has one secure entry point where all occupants must enter to access to the campus and bicycles are restricted (such as at a military installation or maybe an industrial campus), GBCI may approve siting all the bike racks near the secure main entry point. 

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