More is greening at the University of Richmond than the foliage on its wooded campus.

This greening involves saving energy and the school's employees greenbacks.

The university has offered each of its 1,500 employees a chance to sign up for a free daily commuting card good on the Greater Richmond Transit Co.'s buses. So far 97 people have taken the school's offer, according to Carl Sorensen, vice president of human resources.

UR has become the first corporate sponsor of GRTC's "Go Green. Get Green." program that provides sponsors with recognition for their conservation efforts, including a bus billboard for three months.

University President Ed Ayers is focused on reducing the school's contribution to greenhouse gases and embraced the GRTC program when a campus group brought the idea to his attention, Sorensen said. Besides the bus passes for commuting, the program includes a car-pooling initiative through GRTC's Ride Finders.

Employees are excited about the program, because they don't have to pay for the bus and because the university is showing its commitment to public transit, Sorensen said. Before starting the program in early April, the university determined it had 30 to 40 regular bus riders.

The university will test a similar program for students in the fall to see if they have an interest in participating, he said. -- Greg Edwards