Who Can Buy a Bear Pass?
Faculty, staff, post-doctorates, visiting scholars, and other select UC employees are eligible to participate in the Bear Pass program. The Human Resources Management System (HRMS) is used to verify employment status. If the employee's current information is not in HRMS, the employee must ask his or her Payroll representative to complete and sign an Employment Verification Form.
Program Benefits
- Unlimited rides anytime on all AC Transit lines — including Transbay service, for just $37 per month
- Great value: Cost savings of 70% over regular ticket price! Bear Pass pays for itself after just 11 roundtrip local rides.
- Pre-tax purchase provides an additional 12–46% savings.*
- Easy access: over 10 AC Transit lines serve the campus.
- Increased options: no need to forfeit your parking permit or pre-tax purchase of your BART ticket.
- Broad eligibility — more Faculty and Staff, regardless of area of residence
- Risk-free: cancel anytime.
Bear Pass Overview
The Bear Pass is the AC Transit unlimited ride bus pass for UC Berkeley Employees. A partnership between the Parking & Transportation Department and AC Transit, the pass offers cost savings and flexibility for campus bus access.
Similar to the Class Pass program for UC Berkeley students and the Eco-Pass for City of Berkeley employees, the Bear Pass provides UC Berkeley faculty and staff extended transit benefits at a deep discount.
The Bear Pass program provides unlimited rides on AC Transit buses within the district, including to the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco, the Night Owl service from Market Street to Berkeley, and service from the Fremont BART Station to Stanford University.
The Pass is valid from the date of purchase through June 30 each year.
Commute statistics indicate that over 1,000 faculty and staff members currently commuting by car to campus live within ¼ mile of an AC Transit bus stop providing direct service under 20 minutes to campus.
Bear Pass Pricing for 2008-2009
The 2008-2009 monthly pro-rated fee for the Bear Pass is $37 per month.
The Chancellor's Oversight Committee on Parking and Transportation has recommended an increase in Bear Pass user fees to move this program closer to financial sustainability. Compared to AC Transit fares, the Bear Pass continues to be deeply discounted. Refer to AC Transit fares for more information.
Payment Methods
Bear Passes are available for purchase only in the P&T Customer Services office. You cannot use the e-Parking online service to enroll in the Bear Pass program, renew your pass, or manage your contact information.
Eligibility
Faculty, staff, post-doctorates, visiting scholars, and other select UC employees are eligible to participate in the Bear Pass program. Employment status will be verified through HRMS and other methods as appropriate.
Payment Method
If you are a full time/career employee or on casual employment status through the end of the fiscal year, you are eligible for payroll deduction and you must use the automatic payroll deduction payment method. After you are enrolled, the Bear Pass fee will be deducted from your paycheck each month. If you do not qualify for payroll deduction you can pay by cash, check or credit. For more information, please visit the Pre-Tax Payroll Deduction Payments section.
If you are not eligible for payroll deduction, you must pay up-front for the annual Bear Pass by cash, check or credit at P&T. The Bear Pass fee will be pro-rated from the day of purchase.
Cancellation and Refunds
If you wish to discontinue your participation in the program, you may cancel the annual Bear Pass by completing the following steps. In order to cancel payroll deduction or request a refund, the Bear Pass must be returned to Parking and Transportation office.
- Complete Sections 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the Bear Pass Enrollment Change & Cancellation Form
- Return the form along with your Bear Pass to the Parking and Transportation Office
If you are paying by Payroll Deduction, your deductions will be canceled* when the form and pass are received.
*Be sure to cancel before the 10th of the month to ensure that deductions are discontinued active immediately. If you miss this deadline, deductions will be discontinued the following month, and there is no cash refund available for the interim period.
If you have prepaid for the year by credit card, your card will be credited for the remaining value.
If you have prepaid for the year by cash or check, you will receive a check for the remaining value. The refund check takes 3 to 6 weeks for delivery to your home address.
Replacement
If you need a replacement Bear Pass:
- Complete Sections 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the Bear Pass Enrollment Change & Cancellation Form
- Submit the form to the Parking and Transportation Office
Lost Bear Passes must be reported to Parking and Transportation immediately so they can be de-activated. The first lost pass in a fiscal year will be replaced at no charge. The second lost pass in a fiscal year may be replaced for a fee. No more than two replacement passes can be issued in any fiscal year.
Damaged Bear Passes must be returned to Parking and Transportation for replacement. If the pass is determined to be defective, a replacement pass will be issued at no charge. If the pass has been damaged by the owner, the first replacement in a fiscal year will be issued at no charge; the second replacement can be issued for a fee; no more than two replacement passes can be issued in any fiscal year.
Stolen Bear Passes must be reported to Parking and Transportation immediately so they can be de-activated. With the provision of a police report, the stolen Bear Pass can be replaced at no charge.
FAQS
Q. I live outside the AC Transit East Bay service district — can I buy a Bear Pass?
A. Yes. All employees, regardless of where they live, can buy an AC Transit Bear Pass.
Q. Can visiting scholars or post-doctorates purchase a Bear Pass?
A. Yes. Select university affiliates are eligible. Contact P&T office to be sure. You must have a valid Cal ID Card to enroll.
Q. What payment methods can I use for purchase?
A. Participants eligible for payroll deduction will be required to pay by this method, which provides pre-tax benefits; all others pay up-front for the year by cash, check or credit card.
Q. How long can I use the Bear Pass?
A. The annual Bear Pass is valid from July 1st or date of purchase through June 30 each year.
Q. Can I purchase the Bear Pass with pre-tax dollars?
A. Yes. Employees purchasing The Bear Pass on payroll deduction will pay with pre-tax dollars. Depending on your tax bracket, pre-tax payment provides a 12–46% savings off the already discounted price.
Q. If I enroll in the Bear Pass Program, can I still purchase transit tickets and receive the $10 per month transit subsidy?
A. Bear Pass holders are not eligible for any monthly subsidy of purchases of other transit tickets.
If you are enrolled in the pre-tax transit payroll deduction program you still have the option to purchase transit tickets with the pre-tax benefit.
Q. Can I apply the $10 per month transit subsidy toward my Bear Pass?
A. No. The Bear Pass is already subsidized, so this additional subsidy is not available.
Q. What if I only need the Bear Pass for part of the year?
A. Some employees use different transportation methods during the year. For example, some employees commute by bus during the rainy season and bicycle the rest of the time. While the Bear Pass is an annual transit pass (valid June–July), the fee is pro-rated monthly. Employees in the above circumstance could purchase the Bear Pass during the rainy season and cancel the pass when primarily commuting by bicycle, paying only for the months used. Please note: if you cancel the Bear Pass during the fiscal year and decide to re-purchase and be re-issued a pass during the same fiscal year there may be a charge to re-purchase and be re-issued a pass.
Q. If I enroll in the Bear Pass Program, can I still keep or purchase a parking permit?
A. Yes. You can have parking permit AND a Bear Pass.
Q. Is there a discounted Bear Pass price for senior or disabled employees?
A. No.
Q. Can I get a refund for the pass if I don’t like the program after trying it?
A. Yes. You may cancel the Bear Pass and receive a refund for unused months.
Q. Where can I get information on AC Transit bus routes and coverage?
A. www.actransit.org or www.511.org. You can also call 511