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UW Policy Directory

APS 53.4 – The U-PASS Program

Table of Contents

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(Approved by the Senior Vice President for Finance and Facilities by authority of Administrative Order No. 9)

1.  Program Overview

A Transportation Management Plan (TMP) at the University of Washington, Seattle was first developed in 1983 with the intention of expanding commuting options for University students, staff, and faculty, shifting them away from single occupancy vehicle trips. The TMP is part of the University of Washington’s Campus Master Plan.

The U-PASS is the primary component of the University’s Seattle campus TMP, as described in the Campus Master Plan approved by the Seattle City Council in December 2002, and adopted by the UW Board of Regents in January 2003.

In 1991, the Washington State Legislature adopted the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) law. The CTR law was incorporated into the Washington Clean Air Act as RCW 70.94.521 through 70.94.551. Employers with 100 or more full-time employees, who begin their regular workday between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. in the counties of Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Whatcom, and Yakima, are required to develop and implement programs designed to reduce the number of trips and miles employees commute alone to work.

Harborview Medical Center, UW Bothell, and UW Tacoma have since implemented fiscally-separate U-PASS programs with similar, but not identical, benefits. UW Seattle Transportation Services provides centralized U-PASS contracting and ORCA transit fare system administration for all University of Washington campuses.

2.  Appropriate Use and Code Violations

U-PASS participants on all campuses are bound by the U-PASS Program Terms of Use, which are available on the institutional U-PASS web page under the appropriate campus link and where the U-PASS is sold.  Misuse of the U-PASS is subject to sanctions as identified therein and may subject the parties to possible action under the General Conduct Code (Chapter 478-124 WAC) or the Student Conduct Code (Chapter 478-121 WAC). The U-PASS program and policies are subject to change without notice.

3.  U-PASS Eligibility, Procedures, and Benefits

U-PASS eligibility, procedures, and benefits vary by campus.  Details are posted on the campus-specific U-PASS website for each campus and are linked from the institutional U-PASS web page.

4.  Additional Information

For further information, contact UW Transportation Services, the U-PASS contracting agent and ORCA transit fare system administrator for all UW campuses.

December 1997; June 7, 2004; October 7, 2004; September 29, 2011.