UCLA Transportation brings fare-free public transit to employees earning less than $100,000

UCLA is helping ease employees' commute to campus - and reducing their carbon footprint - by expanding access to its fare-free public transit program.

UCLA employees earning less than six figures annually are now eligible for a free quarterly transit pass that provides unlimited access to 13 major Southern California transit systems, including L.A. Metro's bus, rail and Metro Micro services, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, Long Beach Transit, LADOT Transit, Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Santa Clarita Transit, Foothill Transit, Gardena GTrans, Montebello Bus Lines, Norwalk Transit System, Pasadena Transit and Torrance Transit.

"We're supporting our workforce by making it easier to travel to campus while also reducing regional traffic and emissions associated with commuting," said Zenia Chamorro, a senior transportation planner for UCLA Transportation.

Modeled after income-based health insurance tiers, the Tier 1 Plus program provides a free quarterly transit pass to UCLA and UCLA Health employees who hold at least a 43.75% appointment and earn less than $100,000 annually. Roughly 20,000 employees are eligible.

The expansion, supported by $3.5 million in grant funding from the California State Transportation Agency's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, will continue until those funds are exhausted, Chamorro said.

The Tier 1 program was first introduced in winter 2023 for employees in operational and service units within UCLA Administration who earned less than $67,000 per year. It was later expanded to additional departments, including UCLA Library and the UCLA Emeriti/Retirees Relations Center, with hundreds of employees using free transit passes each quarter. Building on that success, UCLA is now expanding eligibility across campus and UCLA Health.

"As the cost of living in Los Angeles continues to rise, commuting has become an increasingly significant part of the true cost of employment for UCLA staff," said Geno Mehalik, outreach and professional development manager at the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center.

"Higher gas and parking costs, combined with housing affordability that pushes employees farther from campus, can substantially erode the value of our wages - particularly for employees who cannot work remotely," said Mehalik, who is also vice president of info systems for UCLA Staff Assembly, which advocates for and promotes the interest and welfare of all staff employees.

The timing is also significant as Southern California's transit network continues to grow. The Metro D Line subway extension to Westwood is scheduled to open in fall 2027, and Metro's broader rail expansion plans will improve connections between Westwood, UCLA and communities across Los Angeles County. For UCLA's nearly 42,000 employees, many of whom commute from considerable distances and work a variety of schedules, expanded access to public transit offers a practical, convenient and cost-saving transportation option.

Eligible employees can now register online for fall quarter transit passes, which will become active on Sunday, Sept. 13.