Unlimited Bus Pass Use for Thousands of UC Employees

News Articles
10/28/2004

The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) and the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) rolled out a new discounted employee bus pass – dubbed the Bear Pass – in a ceremony today at UC Berkeley. The collaborative venture between these two institutions provides pass holders with unlimited use of all AC Transit routes, including Transbay service to San Francisco and the Peninsula, for only $20 per month. This discounted rate, as compared to AC Transit’s usual Transbay/Local monthly pass fee of $100, is made possible by payment of an annual guaranteed subsidy to AC Transit of more than $425,000 from the University.

The Bear Pass is available to more than 8,500 faculty and staff living in AC Transit¹s East Bay service area — an area that includes 13 cities and unincorporated areas between Richmond in the north and Fremont to the south. The program is similar to the extremely successful AC Transit Class Pass program for UC Berkeley students, initiated in 1998.

The goal is to make the Bear Pass a long-term transit program for campus employees. “The Bear Pass program needs 1,300 participants to sustain itself beyond the two-year pilot period,” according to UC Berkeley Transportation Planner Kira Stoll. “We are optimistic that we can meet this since a substantial number of faculty and staff live close to campus and can now conveniently and inexpensively commute to work.” Employees have shown significant interest in the program – over 200 customers applied in the first week of availability.

The program’s debut comes after several years of planning and development between the University and AC Transit, with substantial input from individual staff members and the campus¹ Improve Alternative Transit committee. After much hard work, we’re extremely pleased to initiate a transit-oriented program that will help tackle traffic congestion and parking problems in the city of Berkeley. This is what I’d call a triple win — not a win-win — agreement, of considerable benefit to the city, the university, and us, noted Greg Harper, Vice President of the AC Transit Board of Directors. We have available capacity and a great network of routes serving the entire East Bay, making it convenient and environmentally sound for users to reach their destinations.

The City of Berkeley sponsors a similar program for employees. Now in its third year, the AC Transit Eco Pass Program has proven to be very successful. “Over 1,300 City employees are Eco Pass holders and ridership/use of our Eco Pass continues to grow,” said Mayor Bates.

The Bear Pass and the Eco Pass are both important components of the strategy envisioned in the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Study. The TDM study, jointly completed by the City of Berkeley and University of California in 2001, is designed to develop strategies for efficient, economic and environmentally friendly transportation for the southside and downtown areas of Berkeley. Adds Bates, “Berkeley is a transit first city, and we are pleased to see such a large-scale effort by the University and AC Transit to positively impact the quality of life in our community.”

UC Berkeley is scheduled to submit its 2020 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) for consideration by the UC Board of Regents early next year. Commute programs, such as the Bear Pass, are key elements of the LRDP’s goals to reduce campus related traffic and parking impacts on adjacent neighborhoods.

“With UC Berkeley being the largest employer in the city, the Bear Pass is definitely on track with our alternative transportation goals and is a significant addition to the campus’ commute program,” said Steve Lustig, UC Berkeley’s acting Vice Chancellor for Business and Administrative Services. “We’re dedicated to working in partnership with local agencies to provide our employees flexible and inexpensive options to drive-alone commuting.”

Information about the Bear Pass Program is available on the UC Berkeley Parking & Transportation Department website or by calling (510) 643-7701.