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Editor: 

The University's Director of Transportation Nad Permaul asserts (Daily Planet, 2/28) that the University can't afford to follow the City's lead and provide its employees with Eco Pass transit passes that will allow them to ride A.C. Transit for free. 

The cost, estimated at $60 per year per employee, is a drop in the bucket in relation to the University's overall compensation costs. It's also a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of building the planned Underhill parking structure. The University could provide all its employees with Eco Passes for the next 30 years for less than what it will cost to build the Underhill garage. 

That UC thinks that Eco Pass is too expensive suggests that they view addressing the concerns of Berkeley citizens about as a very low priority.  

The University is the largest generator of automobile traffic in the city. The volume of traffic and the traffic congestion in the neighborhoods surrounding campus is a real problem 

Encouraging more employees to use transit should be a high priority, especially if the University plans to expand. 

The University's approach to transportation planning is internally contradictory. On the one hand, they have followed the lead of UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis and implemented a bus pass for students (the “Class Pass”). They have a shuttle bus system that serves the campus. But on the other hand, they charge below market rates for parking and plan to add a huge amount of additional parking at Underhill, which will encourage more people to drive. 

Eco Pass programs in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, and in Santa Clara County have succeeded in increasing transit ridership and reducing automobile trips. 

If UC can't manage to take this basic step, then they shouldn't be surprised if every one of their proposed developments meets opposition from Berkeley citizens and their elected representatives.  

University officials are constantly saying that they want to work cooperatively with the City. Actions speak louder than words. Implementing Eco Pass for their employees would signal that they are serious about cooperation. 

Rob Wrenn 

Planning Commission 

Berkeley