UC Irvine

This thesis presents an overview of free and reduced fare transit programs offered by public colleges and universities in the state of California. It also provides a review of selected papers from both the U.S. and around the world regarding these programs for students. Finally, it analyzes responses to a survey of public California colleges and universities about their free and reduced fare transit programs during fiscal year 2018-19. To conduct the study, all campuses in the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems were sent a link to a survey which asked respondents to provide details about any transit programs they offer. Fifty-eight campuses, from all parts of the state, responded to the survey and reported a total of 62 programs. Overall, these programs achieved an average usage rate of 23% among all users, which included students, staff, and faculty. Considering students alone, their usage rate is almost 32%. Of particular interest were six schools that reported offering programs based on the insurance-style in which all students pay a flat rate regardless of usage. The average usage rate of these programs was about 48%, much higher than for other programs. Many schools do not appear to have adequate tracking mechanisms to determine the usage of their programs, especially the number of rides taken among users. Funding sources frequently included student fees (for over a third of the programs) and among UCs and CSUs, parking citation revenue. Community colleges more frequently relied on grants from transit agencies and state government, along with student fees, for their programs. Generally, these programs not only provide students and even campus faculty and staff with an affordable and convenient alternative to driving, they also benefit schools by reducing demand for limited parking space and can be a selling point for prospective students. Transit agencies can also benefit from the increased ridership from program participants.