UC Berkeley Receives National Designation as one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters for 2020
UC Berkeley has been named one of the Best Workplaces for Commuters for the third straight year in a row for offering exceptional employee-provided commuter benefits that meet the National Standard of Excellence criteria.
UC Berkeley is on the cutting edge of a national movement,” said Julie Bond, Program Manager, Best Workplaces for Commuters. “For a long time, Cal’s Parking & Transportation Department have listened to their employees’ challenges with traffic congestion and their concerns over reducing emissions. By offering a range of commuter benefits such as subsiding bus fares, Berkeley Moves! carpool program and access to Alameda County’s Emergency Ride Home programs, Cal gives its employees the support they need to get to and from work so they can be at their best. These benefits are good for the company and its employees.”
UC Berkeley is among a select group of workplaces in the United States that have committed to employee-provided commuter benefits that result in at least 14 percent of their employee base not driving alone to work within a 12-month period. UC Berkeley offers employees several commuter benefit options, including:
- Unlimited employee transit passes are available with AC Transit and a $10 subsidy of all transit passes of at least $30 per month.
- An expansive shuttle program geared to get employees between the Downtown Berkeley BART station, the Central Campus, Central Shared Services, and the Global Campus at Richmond Field.
- Berkeley Moves, Cal’s rideshare matching program: cal.rideamigos.com, where over 2,600 students, staff, and faculty have searched for regional carpools and transit routes to get between home, campus, or other points within California.
- Coordination with Alameda County’s Emergency Ride Home program to reimburse employees for transit expenses in the event of emergency or family issues.
- Partnering with FlixBus, Amtrak, and UC Davis to provide transportation options to connect the Bay Area and beyond.
- Providing employee and student memberships with Lyft's BayWheels program.
- An extensive bike network, which was upgraded the campus from a Silver Medal to Gold designation of Bike Friendly Universities by the League of American Bicyclists.
“We are extremely proud about our modest yet progressive commuter benefit program that saves our employees time, money and stress,” said David Sorrell, UCB's Mobility and Alternative Transportation Manager & Campus Transportation Demand Management Administrator. “Our benefits certainly give us a competitive edge in employee recruitment and retention. In order for us to achieve Cal’s goals of carbon neutrality by 2025 and further reducing our employee drive-alone rate below an impressive 40%, we look forward to sustaining if not increasing our alternative transportation options for Cal.”
The Best Workplaces for Commuters program offers designated organizations access to a range of support services to assess and promote non-driving commuting of employees, including organizational assessment and implementation tool-kits, web-based tools and webinars, staff training, and information exchange.
“The companies on this list understand the importance and impact commuter benefits have on their employees and the value they bring to the environment,” said Bond. “Excellent commuter benefit programs may reward these companies not just with a national designation, but buoys workplace productivity, customer loyalty and brand recognition in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”
About Best Workplaces for Commuters
Best Workplaces for Commuters is the national authority on recognizing and assisting workplaces that provide exceptional commuter benefits to employees. More than a recognition program, Best Workplaces for Commuters program provides support needed to create, sustain an employee-provided commuter benefit program, including online assessment tools, advisory services, case studies, tool-kits, web-based tools, webinars and training. Best Workplaces for Commuters represents over 200 workplaces with Best Workplaces for Commuters designation representing over 734,000 employees.
The Best Workplaces for Commuters program is managed by the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida with support from the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). For more information: http://www.bestworkplaces.org/
About Center for Urban Transportation Research (https://www.cutr.usf.edu/)
The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida, established in 1988, is an internationally recognized resource for policymakers, transportation professionals and the public. CUTR provides high quality, objective expertise in the form of insightful research, in-depth policy analysis, comprehensive training and education and effective technical assistance that translates directly into benefits for CUTR’s project sponsors. CUTR’s faculty of 38 full-time researchers and 79 students, combines academic knowledge and extensive “real world” experience in developing innovative, implementable solutions for all modes of transportation. The multidisciplinary research faculty includes experts in economics, planning, engineering, public policy and geography. CUTR receives over $19 million per year in contracts and grants to support its research, education, training and technical assistance missions. CUTR also is the home for the National Center for Transit Research and the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute.