More than 9,000 members of the UCSF community participated in the 2026 UCSF Commute Survey, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive commute surveys in UCSF history.
The survey provides valuable insight into how UCSF faculty, staff, students, trainees, and learners travel to work and between UCSF’s network of hospitals, clinics, research facilities, and administrative buildings. The results help UCSF better understand commuting patterns across the enterprise, identify transportation trends, and support transportation planning and sustainability reporting.
Commute Patterns Across the Enterprise Lean Towards Sustainable Commute Modes
Public transit remains the most common mode of commuting. Since the last survey in 2024, public transit use increased to 31.4% from 23.4%, UCSF Shuttle use increased to 12.1% from 10.2%, and bicycle commuting slightly increased to 4.9% from 4.4%
More than one-quarter of respondents reported traveling between UCSF locations as part of their work responsibilities. Among those employees, UCSF Shuttle accounted for 55% of inter-campus trips, underscoring its importance in connecting UCSF's campuses, hospitals, and clinics.
The survey also reflects growing interest in a range of transportation options. Nearly 1,000 respondents requested additional information about Uber Shuttle and UCSF vanpools, demonstrating interest in flexible shared transportation services that complement public transit and the UCSF shuttle network.
More Commuting to UCSF, But Not to Solo Driving
The most significant finding from the survey is that UCSF's drive-alone rate continued to decline even as remote and hybrid work arrangements decreased. The drive-alone rate fell from 26.5% in 2024 to 25.1% in 2026, while the percentage of respondents working remotely or off-site declined from 25.1% to 15.1%. The results also show that UCSF continues to exceed the University of California Sustainable Practices Policy goal of maintaining a drive-alone rate below 28.8%.
"One of the most encouraging findings from this year's survey is that more members of the UCSF community are traveling to our campuses without a corresponding increase in drive-alone commuting," said Vicki Sundstrom, Strategic Planning Manager, Strategic Planning Unit, Campus Life Services.
We're seeing increased use of public transit, UCSF Shuttle, and other sustainable commute options. Those trends demonstrate the important role these transportation options play in supporting access to our campuses.
More than 4,600 respondents also shared comments about their commuting experiences. The most common themes included desire for expanded shuttle service, improved bicycle infrastructure, transit incentives, and parking affordability.
Thank You for Participating
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2026 UCSF Commute Survey.
Congratulations to this year's gift card winners! Winners were selected through a random drawing and represent locations across the UCSF enterprise, including Mission Bay, Parnassus Heights, Mount Zion, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, UCSF Hyde, UCSF Stanyan, China Basin, Emeryville, Dogpatch, Mission Center Building, and 2001 Embarcadero.
Your participation helps ensure the survey reflects the diverse ways our UCSF community travels and provides one of the most comprehensive snapshots of commuting across the enterprise to date.