Designing Princeton's Future Fleet
How to Strike the Right Balance
Princeton's iconic campus is a walker's paradise. The paths and walkways carry ideas, conversations and knit together our community. At the same time, the campus depends on vital services that rely on motor vehicles. Striking the right balance is critical for the future of the campus. The Current State Report is the first of the project's deliverables.
Project Timeline
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Executive Summary - The Pitfalls of Fragmentation
Princeton University today does not have a single fleet management program. In essence, each department that operates vehicles runs its own fleet, making decisions about what vehicles to buy, how to maintain them, when or if to dispose of them, and how to handle safety and compliance responsibilities such as registration and driver oversight
Unreliable Inventory
Princeton does not have a single, authoritative list of vehicles. Our estimates suggest 600–700 active vehicles, but records contain hundreds of duplicates and “ghost” assets no longer at the University
A modern, streamlined, centralized fleet.
Our vision is a fleet that is fit for purpose, where every vehicle and every trip has a clear business need.
From cradle to grave, our new fleet process will make it easy and seamless for our campus community, staff, students, and faculty to access the mobility they need.
Our fleet will be ready for the new sustainable technologies and practices.
Project Milestones and Deliverables
Discover
June – August 2025
Analyze fleet operations, costs, and policies; gather input from key stakeholders.
Deliverable: Current State Report (October 7, 2025)
Clean-Up
Summer 2025 - Fleet Week!
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Narrowed down Fleet inventory from 1000+ assets to ~650 vehicles.
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Departments voluntarily surrendered 26 vehicles to be retired or repurposed
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~20 additional vehicles were identified as abandoned or ready for surplus
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~7% overall reduction in Fleet Size through Fleet Week efforts.
Design
September – December 2025
Develop long-term strategies for right-sizing, electrification, and centralized management.
Deliverable: Choices Report (November 8, 2025)
Launch
November 2025 – February 2026
Finalize and deliver the Fleet Management Plan based on findings and stakeholder feedback.
Deliverable: Final Fleet Management Plan (January 19, 2026)
Project Team
