The popular Cityshuttle program for students, faculty and staff at the University of California, San Diego was recognized with an Outstanding Service Award-Public Sector during the recent international conference of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT).

UCSD’s Transportation and Parking Services Department was honored for the success and operation of the free Cityshuttle program which transports more than 7,500 passengers per day, or 375,000 per academic quarter, in an eight mile route adjacent to the campus.

Initiated in 2002, ridership on the shuttles has increased more than 110 percent in three years. The service consists of eight buses making the roundtrip from housing in the adjacent La Jolla area to the campus during peak times, and three buses in the non-peak period.

Steve Relyea, vice chancellor of Business Affairs, noted that ACT annually honors outstanding achievements and recognizes significant contributions made by individuals and organizations to ridesharing or related fields of transportation management. Award categories are designed to recognize excellence in performance, creativity and leadership in specific categories, he said.

Three Outstanding Service Awards were presented to organizations that developed a service to meeting identified commuter needs and/or concerns. In addition to UCSD’s award in the Public Sector category, J.P. Morgan, Chase & Co. of Wilmington, Del., won in the Private Sector area and Pierce Transit of Lakewood, Wa., in the Partnership Sector category. The three awards came from 62 nominations.