UC San Diego Commuters Set New
Records in Alternative Transportation

June 5, 2009

By Pat JaCoby

More than half of the commuters to UC San Diego’s La Jolla campus and Hillcrest Medical Center are using alternatives to single-occupant vehicles, according to a new study by UCSD’s Transportation Services department.

The annual survey showed that 54 percent of commuters entering the La Jolla campus and 52 percent entering the Hillcrest Medical Center used alternative transportation, including campus shuttles, public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, walking and bicycling.

Brian d’Autremont, Transportation Services director, predicted “In the future, we will achieve even greater success and continued public sustainability support when we begin operating America’s first fast-charging electric buses.”

“We are ecstatic that 32,460 UC San Diego commuters are using alternative transportation on a daily basis to get to and from the La Jolla and Hillcrest locations,” said Sam Corbett, Transportation Services assistant director. “This clearly demonstrates that the university’s strong commitment to sustainability is significantly reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the region. In fact, our alternative transportation programs offset an estimated 18,972 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.”

Other highlights of the 2009 survey of pedestrian and vehicular traffic include:

• On an average day, 28,399 people entered the UC San Diego La Jolla campus via alternative transportation.

• Public transit use has seen a 186 percent increase, from 1,295 riders in 2006 to 3,708 riders in 2009.

• Campus shuttle ridership increased by 15 percent from 5,163 daily riders in 2008 to 5,951 riders in 2009.

• Average daily bicycling increased from 802 riders in 2007 to 1,412 riders in 2008, a 76 percent increase.

Media Contact: Pat JaCoby, 858-534-7404 or pjacoby@ucsd.edu