UCSF Expands Transit Pass Program Across its Workforce

UC San Francisco has signed an agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to offer a discounted Clipper BayPass to 36,000 employees and students, providing unlimited travel on 24 bus, rail, and ferry services across the nine-county Bay Area. The collaboration was approved Sept. 11 by the MTC Regional Network Management Committee.

The program follows a BayPass pilot in 2024, in which UCSF was the first employer to participate, offering a free or heavily discounted transit pass to students and a core group of employees in partnership with the United Auto Workers union. About 8,300 UCSF employees and students currently participate.

Under the new agreement with MTC, UCSF will make the regional pass available to all students and those employees eligible for core benefits, representing almost the entire UCSF and UCSF Health workforce. Participants will be able to use a single Clipper card across participating Bay Area transit agencies. The expanded program will begin in January 2027, with information about how to join rolling out to employees and students beginning this October.

For eligible participants, BayPass will be available at no cost or for a small monthly contribution, based on their payscale, with the highest tier paying only $45 per month. UCSF expects to spend an estimated $15 million to $22 million on the program during the first year, with the final amount depending on participation and ridership.

“A strong public transportation network is essential to our workforce and to the Bay Area, and this is an investment in both,” said Erin S. Gore, senior vice chancellor of Finance and Administration at UCSF. “By reducing the cost and complexity of getting around the region, we can make transit a more practical choice for thousands of employees and students. And by investing in transit, we are demonstrating how large employers can help strengthen this critical shared resource.”

UCSF employees have expressed considerable interest in expanded transit benefits, particularly BayPass, through surveys about their transportation needs. The benefit also has support from UCSF’s labor partners. In 2026, 77% of UCSF’s eligible employees and students enrolled in the pilot program. Participants took more than 1.2 million rides on Bay Area transit in 2025 and have logged more than 2.75 million rides since UCSF joined the program. The new agreement enables UCSF to expand this successful pilot across its workforce.

Building on decades of transportation support

As San Francisco’s largest employer, UCSF has long recognized the importance of having a variety of transportation options for people traveling to its campuses, hospitals, and other facilities. More than half of UCSF and UCSF Health employees live in San Francisco, while thousands of others commute from communities throughout the region.

“UCSF has called San Francisco home for more than 150 years. Today, our people live and work in communities across the Bay Area,” said Chancellor Sam Hawgood. “As a leading public university and one of the region’s largest employers, we work to support both our people and the communities we serve. That includes helping our people get to where they need to go. I’m excited to announce this new partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to expand access to public transit and contribute to the long-term vitality of the Bay Area.”

The university previously committed more than $20 million toward public transit improvements serving Parnassus Heights, including increased capacity and service on the N-Judah line. UCSF pledged $4 million toward the development of a new Mission Bay Ferry Landing, which is expected to bring all-electric ferry service within steps of its Mission Bay campus and hospitals. UCSF also operates a shuttle network, connects its campuses to transit hubs, and supports bicycling and other alternatives to driving to help reduce traffic.

BayPass was developed by MTC in partnership with BART and other Bay Area transit agencies to create a seamless experience and is the direct result of rider feedback over the years. UCSF joined the employer pilot in 2024 to explore how this type of benefit could serve its workforce.

UCSF will provide additional information about eligibility, enrollment, and other program details in the coming weeks.