UCSF Recognized by EPA as One of the Best Workplaces for Commuters

Top commuter benefits earned UCSF a place on the inaugural 2006 National List of Best Workplaces for Commuters from Colleges and Universities, awarded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Released May 22, the list comprises 72 institutions that met EPA criteria for employer-provided commuter benefits, which improve air quality, save energy and reduce traffic congestion. Jon Gledhill, Transportation Services director, and Chris Weeks, Campus Rideshare coordinator, organize a variety of programs to meet the different transportation needs of UCSF commuters, while reducing gasoline costs for employees, noise and air pollution in the community, and parking problems on campus. Programs include Bay Area-wide carpools and vanpools (reaching as far as Sacramento), pretax public transit passes, facilities for bike commuters, and the Marin Commute Club, a bus service founded by UCSF in 1971. On campus, there is access to City CarShare vehicles at a discounted rate and free intercampus shuttles, which have been in service since 1979. The website, describes each program and includes a carpool matching service, where commuters can enter their schedule and join a car or vanpool. There is also an emergency ride home service, which reimburses the cost of transportation home up to $50. "The essence of what we do is to make the commute requirements people have as easy as possible. And being a reputable public institution, we have a social responsibility to promote clean air," says Gledhill. "From a public service aspect, it's important for us to make that contribution and to sustain it." Approximately 2,000 of the 17,000 UCSF employees participate in one of these programs. Due to this participation, 890,000 gallons of gasoline and 8,000 metric tons of CO2 are reduced annually, according to EPA calculations. By forming partnerships with city and state organizations, Weeks is working to expand UCSF programs and promote the benefits of a greener lifestyle through eco-friendly transportation. He worked with Caltrain to construct a secure bike station at 4th and King streets, so that commuters can bike from the train station to the Mission Bay campus. He also worked with the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition to coordinate San Francisco's Bike to Work Day with UCSF's Earth Fest on May 18. "With the organic chocolate and beautiful housewares, Earth Fest showed people that they can live decadently and still have a lifestyle that is earth-friendly," says Weeks. "And having Bike to Work Day on the same day demonstrated that it's all tied together. It isn't just what you do once you get to UCSF, but it's how you get there." Weeks is also a member of the UCSF Sustainability Committee, and is committed to creating programs that promote sustainable transportation that has value for the environment and the commuter, as well as the University's bottom line. "Our goal is to show you can make more money by being sustainable than being unsustainable," says Weeks. "We want to have UCSF add richness to our communities and, with our knowledge, serve as an example of how a business can be run effectively without destroying the environment." Links: UCSF Transportation Services 2006 National List of Best Workplaces for Commuters from Colleges and Universities