UCLA transit pass programs improved accessibility and reduced emissions in 2023

State of the Commute tracks Bruins' footsteps, bike and bus routes, vehicle trips and electric scooter rides, and in 2023, more miles were traveled sustainably due to expanded transit pass programs, according to the UCLA Transportation annual report.

Nearly 28,000 UCLA-issued transit passes were distributed - an all-time high for UCLA Transportation, whose annual report reviews travel trends, mobility developments and the commuting habits of the nearly 86,000 students, faculty, staff and others who travel to campus to learn, work, conduct research and visit. Public transportation trips got smoother for UCLA's undergraduate students through a transit pass referendum passed during an Undergraduate Students Association Council election in spring quarter 2023.

Bruin U-Pass grants undergraduates unlimited-use, fare-fee rides on the seven transit agencies serving the campus - Los Angeles Metro bus, rail and on-demand rideshare service Metro Micro; Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus; Culver CityBus; Antelope Valley Transit Authority; Santa Clarita Transit; Long Beach Transit; and Los Angeles Department of Transportation Commuter Express, plus several others in the Los Angeles area - for only $3.30 per quarter, less than a cup of coffee.

Almost 20,000 passes were distributed during the program's launch in fall quarter 2023, a figure representing more than 60% of the entire undergraduate population. Bruin U-Pass covers 3,000 square miles of Los Angeles County's 4,000 square miles when you factor in the service areas of the transit agencies included in the pass.

For Bruins like Amanda Pate, this was a game changer.

"I commute on AVTA Route 786 from Lancaster to UCLA, about a 2 to 2 1/2-hour-long commute each way depending on traffic," she said. "I am incredibly thankful for that commuter line and this pass as I really didn't know how I was going to even get here, let alone be a successful transfer student."

And for eligible graduate students, there's Bruin Grad Pass, now in its fourth year of providing unlimited fare-free rides throughout the county, also for a small quarterly fee. Nearly 6,000 passes were distributed in fall quarter 2023. In November, through another referendum, Bruin Grad Pass was renewed through 2034, no longer requiring a yearly election for approval.

A convenient pass for all seven local and commuter transit agencies serving the campus was created for UCLA's faculty and staff. The simplified Commuter All Access Pass was priced at the lowest rate of all previously available commuter line passes.

Aiming to offer a more affordable and sustainable alternative to driving, for the first time in 2023, UCLA implemented a public transit pilot program for lower-income employees. Over 300 quarterly passes were distributed, spurring the possibility of wider distribution in the future.

State of the Commute also revealed a continued reduction in daily vehicle trips to campus - 86,773 in 2023 compared to 102,123 pre-pandemic - which helped bring down commuter greenhouse gas emissions by about 2,500 metric tons compared to 2022, contributing to a chief UCLA sustainability goal to lower the campus carbon footprint through greener mobility options.

Learn more about these and other developments at the interactive UCLA State of the Commute 2023 website.

Tags: sustainability | UCLA campus | students | transportation