UC Berkeley faculty and staff are avid users of alternative transportation. More than half of our faculty and staff commute to UCB either by public transportation, as bicyclists and pedestrians, or by carpool or vanpool. The Parking & Transportation department’s New Directions program offers a variety of transportation benefits and incentives for these employees.
Program Eligibility
- UC Berkeley faculty and staff* (career, most casual appointments, visiting scholars and post-doctorates) and other select UCB employees are eligible to participate in New Directions programs. Some transit program restrictions apply to employees that hold a daytime campus parking permit.
- Employees who use any form of public transportation, walk to campus, ride a bike to campus, or come to campus in an informal carpool, may stop by the P&T office to declare their eligibility and claim services offered by the program. Those employees who hold a Bear Pass, carpoolers, transit subsidy participants, transit pre-tax participants, and vanpoolers, are all already participants in the New Directions program.
*Please Note: Applicability of parking rates and transportation program options may vary based on the terms of individual collective bargaining agreements. Employees may wish to consult with Labor Relations at 642-0429
Program Description
BearTransit Campus Shuttle Pass
- BearTransit rides on the day "P" , "R", "C", and "H" (Hill) lines are free to faculty, staff, emeriti, visiting scholars and other select UCB employees by showing a valid UC ID Card.
- The Richmond Field Station (RFS) shuttle requires all riders to either pay at the fare box or buy RFS ride passes from the P&T office. Other campus affiliates who are not eligible for participation can pay the fare box to ride. See the BearTransit page for more info on routes and fares.
Guaranteed Ride Home
- An insurance program offering free rides in the event of personal emergency
- All faculty and staff are eligible for the Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program offering UCB employees up to six free rides home per year in the event of a personal emergency. Employees must be using a commute alternative the day they use the GRH. This program is offered by the Alameda Congestion Management Agency at no cost to the University. For more information and application, visit the CMA website.
Discount Parking for Carpools
- The Faculty/Staff carpool program offers discounts on parking to employees who carpool. Over 700 campus employees now commute by carpool. To qualify for the carpool permit, you must be a current UC Berkeley employee. Carpoolers are not required to pay the annual transportation fee.
Permits and lot access
- The program allows individuals to purchase a carpool permit with the level of access to which they are entitled ("C", "F", or "S"). Students and employees may carpool together. Two carpool permits must be displayed in a vehicle to be considered a carpool. Any two or more carpool permit holders traveling together becomes a carpool with parking access to the highest level of carpool permit displayed.
- If you cannot carpool on a given day, you may display your individual carpool permit along with a daily Dispensing Machine Ticket (DMT) from one of the ticket machines in the lot. Daily parking permits may purchased at the P&T office. Reserved carpool parking spaces until 10:00 a.m.
- Reserved carpool parking spaces are available throughout the campus. These reserved spaces are open to all carpoolers on a first-come first served basis, on weekdays until 10:00 a.m., and not assigned to specific carpool groups. See the Campus parking map for carpool space locations.
Finding carpool partners
- You can find possible carpool mates from your area through the regional ride matching system. Get your match list on-line through 511 Regional Rideshare Program's Ridematch Service read more at 511.org - Rideshare or call 511.
Pre-Tax Transit Purchases through Automatic Payroll Deduction
- Pre-Tax Transit Program participants enjoy a $10 per month transit subsidy and pre-tax purchase savings
- The Pre-Tax program enables UC employees to purchase transit tickets for BART, Vallejo/Fairfield Transit or any other transit provider through Automatic Payroll Deduction with pre-tax dollars. Transit tickets will be mailed monthly to your home or monthly pre-tax funds can be loaded on a debit card.By using pre-tax dollars, employees realize between 12% and 46% savings depending on their tax bracket. P&T is working with a vendor to provide this service to employees. For more information please visit our WageWorks Pre-tax Program page.
- For specific information about public transit systems visit 511.org.
*Note: Annual parking permit holders and Bear Pass holders are not eligible for the $10 per month subsidy but can take advantage of pre-tax transit ticket purchases.
Transit Subsidy Program
- Get a $10 a month subsidy for public transit tickets
- Public transit commuters not eligible for the pre-tax program can take advantage of a $10 per month subsidy toward the purchase of BART or Vallejo/Fairfield Transit tickets. These tickets are sold at the P&T Customer Service Office.
Note: Annual parking permit holders and Bear Pass holders are not eligible for the $10 per month subsidy but can take advantage of pre-tax transit ticket purchases.
Bicycle Programs
- Bicycle commuters that use transit as a back up to cycling should consider using the pre-tax transit ticket purchase program or the Bear Pass program for AC Transit. Also, consider the Guaranteed Ride Home program to assist in the event of a personal emergency that requires transportation from campus.
- You can find details of our bicycle programs and publications at our Bicycle Information page.
Programs for Pedestrians
- Walkers that use transit as a back-up should consider joining the pre-tax transit ticket purchase program or the Bear Pass program for AC Transit. Also, consider the Guaranteed Ride Home program to assist in the event of a personal emergency that requires transportation from campus. Vanpools
- Vanpools are a comfortable, economical way to commute for a distance of 20 miles or more. Vanpools are operated by a group of seven or more employees who commute in one vehicle from the same area. Vanpoolers are eligible other benefits such as the GRH program.
- Vanpools coming to the UC Berkeley are owner/operated and not sponsored by P&T. P&T provides free campus parking to vanpools. For more information on vanpools in your area visit 511.org or call 511.
Car Sharing
- UC Berkeley now hosts several car sharing services on-campus. Each service provides its members with short-term car rentals. Car sharing fits perfectly in a University setting. Car sharing is an excellent alternative to automobile ownership for staff and faculty, or as a way to access a car at work for local errands if they are commuting to campus to via transit, carpools, and other alternative modes.
See our Car Sharing page for more information.
How to Participate
- Please see the P&T Forms and Publications page for more information!
- For Pre-Tax Transit Program - Visit our WageWorks Pre-tax Program page.