For Stefan Brown, the MESA Program Coordinator for the Center for Science, Education and Outreach at UCSF, a typical day includes traveling around San Francisco hopping between various school sites to expose historically underrepresented students to the different professional opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
“Our goal is to pique their interest in a career in STEM,” he said. “I frequently visit different schools to deliver supplies and support teachers and students with their projects.”
Brown has become very familiar with the streets of San Francisco and the costs associated with transportation. “As we all know, the Bay Area is one of the most expensive cities in the world!” he said. But thanks to the new Clipper BayPass Pilot Program offered by UCSF Transportation, Brown is saving money on his transportation costs.
Stefan Brown
UCSF was selected as one of 10 pilot employers to participate in the new program. Through the Clipper BayPass Pilot program, UCSF provides a small group of eligible participant employees with a no-cost Clipper BayPass. The project is designed to study the benefits of a transit pass that provides access to most transit services in the Bay Area. The BayPass is linked to the employee’s Clipper card and provides unlimited travel on any service that uses Clipper (except historic San Francisco Cable Cars, parking, BayWheels and BikeLink). The pass is good through December 2024.
In addition to using the BayPass Pilot Program, Brown also takes advantage of the Park & Ride Program offered by UCSF Transportation. “Although I live near Civic Center, and relatively close to our office at the Mission Center Building, my commute varies based on the day ahead,” he said. “Some days I take BART, other days I walk or ride my bike, depending on the weather. The cost of having a parking spot and taking public transportation around the city was a financial burden prior to the BayPass Pilot Program and Park & Ride.”
A total of 5,950 employees were invited to the BayPass Program and 3,715 are actively enrolled. In addition, 2,500 students were invited to enroll on April 1.
“Early adoption of the BayPass and Park & Ride pilot programs are quite encouraging,” said Executive Director of Transportation, Amit Kothari. “We intend to introduce new initiatives that continue encouraging increased use of clean and sustainable transportation alternatives.”
Being able to get from location to location without worrying about the cost of transportation allows Brown to visit schools more frequently. “I think more importantly than the access that Park & Ride and the BayPass provides me, it provides the communities that I serve better access to me.”
Prior to the Park & Ride Program, Brown struggled to find places to park his car near his apartment. “The amount of money that I spent on storing my car, paying parking tickets, and even getting it towed, made it increasingly difficult to justify living and working in San Francisco. Now, I know that when I park my car at the Mission Center Building lot, it is safe, both from ticketing and towing, but also from property crime. The lot is quiet, safe, and monitored.”
For more information on the Park & Ride Program and how to save money on parking and transportation, visit UCSF Transportation.
