Bear Pass - Clipper Card Overview
The Bear Pass on the Clipper Card is the AC Transit unlimited ride bus pass for UC Berkeley Employees. A partnership between the Parking & Transportation Department and AC Transit, the pass offers cost savings and flexibility for campus bus access.
Similar to the Class Pass program for UC Berkeley students and the Eco-Pass for City of Berkeley employees, the Bear Pass on the Clipper Card provides UC Berkeley faculty and staff extended transit benefits at a deep discount.
The program provides unlimited rides on AC Transit buses within the district, Local or Transbay.
Program Benefits
- Unlimited rides on all AC Transit lines — local or Transbay service.
- Great value: Cost savings of 75% over regular ticket price! The Bear Pass loaded onto a Clipper Card pays for itself after about 8 roundtrip local rides.
- Pre-tax purchase provides an additional 12–46% savings.*
- Easy access: over 14 AC Transit lines serve the campus.
- Increased options: no need to forfeit your parking permit or pre-tax purchase of your BART ticket.
- Broad eligibility — Faculty and Staff, regardless of area of residence
- Risk-free: cancel anytime.
The Pass is valid from the date of purchase through June 30 each year.
Commute statistics indicate that over 1,000 faculty and staff members currently commuting by car to campus live within ¼ mile of an AC Transit bus stop providing direct service to campus in less than 20 minutes.
Who Can Buy a Bear Pass?
Faculty, staff, post-doctorates, visiting scholars, and other select UC employees are eligible to participate in the Bear Pass program. The Human Capital Management (HCM) is used to verify employment status. If the employee's current information is not in HCM, the employee must ask his or her Payroll representative to complete and sign an Employment Verification Form.
Complete the Bear Pass Form.
Bear Pass Pricing for 2010-2011
- $408 per year prorated based on enrollment date.
Payment Methods
The Bear Pass is available for purchase only in the P&T Customer Services office.
You are eligiable for payroll deduction, if you are a full time/career employee or on casual employment status through the end of the fiscal year, you may enroll in the automatic payroll deduction payment method via WageWorks. A $34.00 fee will be deducted from your paycheck each month. For more information, please visit the Pre-Tax Payroll Deduction Payments section.
Cancellation
If you wish to discontinue your participation in the program, you may cancel the annual Bear Pass by completing the following steps.
- Complete the Bear Pass Cancellation Form
- Return the form along with your Bear Pass to the Parking and Transportation Office
If you are paying by Payroll Deduction, your deductions will be canceled* when the form and pass are received.
*Be sure to cancel before the 10th of the month to ensure that deductions are discontinued active immediately. If you miss this deadline, deductions will be discontinued the following month, and there is no cash refund available for the interim period.
If you have prepaid for the year by credit card, your card will be credited for the remaining value.
If you have prepaid for the year by cash or check, you will receive a check for the remaining value. The refund check takes 3 to 6 weeks for delivery to your home address.
Replacement
If you need a replacement Bear Pass on the Clipper Card:
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Lost, Damaged, Stolen Clipper Card please call Clipper Card Customer Service: 1.877-878-8883. Clipper may charge a replacement fee
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Customer will be responsible for commute expenses pending card replacement.
FAQS
Q. I live outside the AC Transit East Bay service district — can I buy a Bear Pass?
A. Yes. All employees, regardless of where they live, can buy a Bear Pass.
Q. Can visiting scholars or post-doctorates purchase a Bear Pass?
A. Yes. Select university affiliates are eligible. Contact P&T office to be sure. You must have a valid Cal ID Card to enroll.
Q. What payment methods can I use for purchase?
A. Participants eligible for payroll deduction will be required to pay by this method, which provides pre-tax benefits; all others pay up-front for the year by cash, check or credit card.
Q. How long can I use the Bear Pass?
A. The annual Clipper Card (TransLink) is valid from July 1st or date of purchase through June 30 each year.
Q. Can I purchase the Bear Pass with pre-tax dollars?
A. Yes. Employees purchasing a Bear Pass on payroll deduction will pay with pre-tax dollars. Depending on your tax bracket, pre-tax payment provides a 12–46% savings off the already discounted price.
Q. If I enroll in the Bear Pass Program, can I still purchase transit tickets and receive the $10 per month transit subsidy?
A. Bear Pass holders are not eligible for any monthly subsidy of purchases of other transit tickets.
If you are enrolled in the pre-tax transit payroll deduction program you still have the option to purchase transit tickets with the pre-tax benefit.
Q. Can I apply the $10 per month transit subsidy toward my Bear Pass?
A. No. Bear Pass is already subsidized, so this additional subsidy is not available.
Q. What if I only need the Bear Pass for part of the year?
A. Some employees use different transportation methods during the year. For example, some employees commute by bus during the rainy season and bicycle the rest of the time. While the Clipper Card (TransLink) is an annual transit pass (valid June–July), the fee is pro-rated monthly. Employees in the above circumstance could purchase the Clipper Card (TransLink) during the rainy season and cancel the pass when primarily commuting by bicycle, paying only for the months used. Please note: if you cancel the Clipper Card (TransLink) during the fiscal year and decide to re-purchase and be re-issued a pass during the same fiscal year there may be a charge to re-purchase and be re-issued a pass.
Q. If I enroll in the Bear Pass Program, can I still keep or purchase a parking permit?
A. Yes. You can have parking permit AND a Bear Pass.
Q. Is there a discounted Bear Pass price for senior or disabled employees?
A. No.
Q. Can I get a refund for the card if I don’t like the program after trying it?
A. Yes. You may cancel the Bear Pass and receive a refund for unused months.
Q. Where can I get information on AC Transit bus routes and coverage?
A. www.actransit.org or www.511.org.
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| UCB_Bear Pass User Guide_web.pdf | 180.34 KB |
