LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Location and Transportation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which LEED Location and Transportation credit was specifically created to incentivize electric vehicle adoption at project sites?
- Green Vehicles (Correct answer)
- Reduced Parking Footprint
- Access to Quality Transit
- High Priority Site
Correct answer: Green Vehicles
The Green Vehicles credit requires EV charging infrastructure and preferred parking for green vehicles to accelerate adoption of low-emission transportation.
Question 2: A project is located 0.25 miles from a bus stop with 60 weekday buses and 40 weekend buses. Under LEED v4, does this likely meet the Access to Quality Transit threshold?
- Yes, because the stop has high frequency on weekdays
- No, because the walking distance exceeds the allowed pedestrian shed
- It depends on whether the 0.25 miles is measured by walking network distance (Correct answer)
- No, because buses never qualify — only rail counts
Correct answer: It depends on whether the 0.25 miles is measured by walking network distance
The qualifying distance must be measured along actual pedestrian routes (pedestrian shed), not straight-line distance, so network distance determines eligibility.
Question 3: In LEED Location and Transportation, 'walkable distance' for the Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses credit is typically defined as a walk of no more than:
- 0.25 miles (1/4 mile)
- 0.50 miles (1/2 mile) (Correct answer)
- 1.0 mile
- 2.0 miles
Correct answer: 0.50 miles (1/2 mile)
LEED defines walkable distance for diverse uses as a half-mile (0.5 miles) walking distance measured along a pedestrian network from the project's main entrance.
Question 4: A project team wants to reduce parking but local zoning requires a minimum of 200 spaces. To earn the Reduced Parking Footprint credit, the project should provide:
- Exactly 200 spaces (local code minimum)
- No more than 200 spaces (Correct answer)
- At least 240 spaces with EV charging
- At least 200 spaces plus a shared parking agreement
Correct answer: No more than 200 spaces
The credit requires not exceeding the local zoning minimum, so providing no more than the required 200 spaces (or fewer via variances) earns the credit.
Question 5: Which of the following actions would DISQUALIFY a site from earning the Sensitive Land Protection credit?
- Building on a formerly contaminated urban site
- Constructing on land within a 100-year flood plain (Correct answer)
- Developing a greyfield surface parking lot
- Building adjacent to a previously developed commercial area
Correct answer: Constructing on land within a 100-year flood plain
Development within a 100-year flood plain is prohibited under Sensitive Land Protection because it places buildings in areas prone to regular flooding and represents environmentally sensitive land.
Question 6: A LEED project provides 10 long-term secured bicycle spaces and 4 short-term visitor racks. The long-term spaces are in a locked cage in the parking garage. Does this meet Bicycle Facilities requirements for long-term storage?
- Yes, a locked cage qualifies as secured long-term storage (Correct answer)
- No, long-term storage must be indoors and climate-controlled
- No, only wall-mounted hooks qualify for long-term storage
- Yes, but only if the cage is monitored by security cameras
Correct answer: Yes, a locked cage qualifies as secured long-term storage
A locked cage or enclosure qualifies as secured long-term bicycle storage under LEED Bicycle Facilities, protecting against theft and weather.
Question 7: Under LEED Location and Transportation, which credit most directly addresses urban sprawl by rewarding projects in already-developed, dense areas?
- Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses (Correct answer)
- Sensitive Land Protection
- Reduced Parking Footprint
- Bicycle Facilities
Correct answer: Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses
The Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses credit directly combats sprawl by rewarding projects that locate in existing dense, walkable, mixed-use environments rather than greenfield sites.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Location and Transportation 5
Which LEED Location and Transportation credit was specifically created to incentivize electric vehicle adoption at project sites?