UCSF Reports San Francisco Shuttle Bus Accident

By Elizabeth Fernandez

In a letter to the UCSF community, Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann expressed sorrow over a fatal accident this week involving a campus shuttle bus that resulted in the death of a 65-year-old woman.

The driver has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

UCSF Shuttle Bus Services:

  • Age of program: 30 years
  • Number of passengers annually: 2.3 million
  • Miles travelled annually: 1 million
  • Number of drivers: 73
  • Number of routes: 17
  • Number of buses: 49
  • Number of stops: 26
  • Hours of operation: 5 a.m. – 1 a.m.
The accident occurred shortly after noon Wednesday in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood at the corner of Geary Boulevard and Leavenworth Street. The University is fully cooperating with the San Francisco Police Department in the investigation of this tragedy.

“The UCSF community extends its profound condolences to the deceased woman’s family and friends,’’ said Desmond-Hellmann in her letter. “Our thoughts also are with our shuttle driver, who has worked at UCSF for three years.’’

“We at UCSF have always drawn strength from each other, and at times like this, that sense of community is more important than ever,’’ she wrote.

The confidential services of the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (415/476-8279) or the Spiritual Care Services Program (415/443-CARE) are available to any UCSF employees who may need them, including those aboard the shuttle during the collision. Further information about the programs is available at http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/assist/ or http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/assist/.

It is believed to be the first such incident in the shuttle program’s 30-year history, said Jon Gledhill, director of UCSF Transportation Services. The shuttles ferry patients and employees throughout the UCSF campus network in San Francisco, travelling one million miles a year and carrying 2.3 million passengers annually. The vehicle involved in the accident covered a “blue route,’’ which runs a loop from the Parnassus campus to San Francisco General Hospital, to the Mission Bay campus, and to Mt. Zion Hospital.

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