UCLA Transportation subsidizes eligible UCLA students and employee transit pass costs for seven transit agencies. Avoid traffic, relax, sleep, study or read while improving traffic congestion and promoting sustainability.
Prospective participants must fall into one of the categories below to be eligible to purchase a subsidized transit product:
- Current UCLA student enrolled for the academic quarter
- Faculty or employee holding an appointment time of 43.75% or more time
Highlighted Transit Programs
Bruin U-Pass
With the April 2023 passage of the UCLA undergraduate student transit pass referendum, undergraduates have fare-free access to all transit agencies throughout LA County including those serving UCLA through the Bruin U-Pass program.
Bruin Grad Pass
Through their student fees, eligible UCLA graduate students have access to the Bruin Grad Pass transit program, which enables use of all transit agencies throughout LA County including those serving UCLA.
Try Transit Free for a Quarter
Our Bruin Commuter Transit Benefit program offers one free quarterly transit pass for eligible students, staff, and faculty. The pass is valid for any of the seven transit agencies serving the UCLA campus.
- How to Purchase
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UCLA customers can purchase or renew their transit passes online at the beginning of each academic quarter. Please note that due to new Federal guidelines regarding subsidized transit passes, all UCLA students and employees purchasing a Go Metro pass are required to take a short one-time survey prior to making their purchase.
To purchase a transit pass online, please log onto the BruinTAP for Transit portal. You will need an established Bruin OnLine (BOL) account to access the portal. If you cannot access the online system or are having difficulties with your UCLA Logon account, please contact Bruin Online Customer Support at (310) 825-8000 or email consult@ucla.edu.
After securely logging in, please follow these steps:
1. Choose the product
2. Select buy
3. Choose your payment method*
4. Click continue and then submit your order
After your successful online purchase, you will receive a confirmation email. Keep this confirmation as a record of your payment. Please allow four hours for your TAP card to become activated. If you do not already have a TAP card, you may either select to have it mailed to your address or you may pick it up at the Central Ticket Office (CTO) during business hours.Transit Passes may also be purchased at CTO. For more information, please visit the CTO website.
*Only UCLA staff and faculty with an appointment time of 43.75% or greater and with duration of nine months or more are eligible for payroll deduction. Payroll deduction authorization must be renewed each quarter.
OneBill Initiative
The OneBill Initiative consolidates your regular-term Tuition, Housing, Parking, and Transit student fees into a single BruinBill account called Regular Term Bill. The OneBill Initiative makes billing support straightforward by providing a centralized location for billing inquiries. When you reach the purchase screen you will only see the BruinBill option available. After completing your transaction, your Transit charge will be applied to your Regular Term Bill and all financial payments will be paid through your BruinBill account. For more information please visit onebill.ucla.edu. - TAP Card Replacement
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If your TAP card has been lost, stolen, or damaged please log onto the Transit Portal to purchase a replacement TAP card for $2.
Once you have purchased your replacement TAP card online, please go to the Central Ticket Office to pick up your card. If you have an active transit pass it will be loaded onto your new card upon pick up.
If you are using a TAP card that was issued by UCLA in 2016 or earlier you will need to order a replacement card to take advantage of the subsidized passes.
- BruinBus
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For more information visit the BruinBus page and for current service view the BruinBus route map. Live bus tracking is available on the real-time map or the TripShot app, available for download from Google Play or the App Store. - Bruin U-Pass
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Learn more about Bruin U-Pass and how undergraduate students can request one. - Bruin Grad Pass
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With the April 2020 passage of the graduate student transit pass referendum, eligible UCLA graduate students have access to the Bruin Grad Pass program, which enables use of all local transit agencies and commuter lines serving campus. Included in your Bruin Grad Pass is unlimited access to all seven transit agencies serving the UCLA campus including Los Angeles Metro bus and rail lines, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, Antelope Valley Transit, Santa Clarita Transit, Long Beach Transit, and LADOT Commuter Express.
Learn more about Bruin Grad Pass and how eligible graduate students can request one.
- BruinGO! and Go Metro Transit Passes
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The BruinGO! transit program allows UCLA students and employees to travel on any bus operated by Santa Monica Big Blue Bus (BBB) or Culver CityBus (CCB) at a subsidized rate. Similarly, the Go Metro transit pass allows unlimited rides on all Metro bus and rail lines, and the Metro Micro on-demand rideshare service for a discounted rate.
With BruinTap for Transit, UCLA employees and students can purchase both a Go Metro and/or a BruinGO! pass on a TAP card! Occasional riders on BBB and CCB not needing a pass can still ride at a discount with the UCLA Co-Pay.
If you have not received a subsidized transit pass before, you may qualify for one free quarterly pass for Go Metro and/or BruinGO! through the Bruin Commuter Transit Benefit program.
- UCLA Co-Pay Option
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The UCLA co-pay option for Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Culver City Bus allows students and employees who aren't regular transit riders to take advantage of a discounted rate.
Here's how to take advantage of the discount:
1. Purchase the co-pay online for $2.00
2. If purchasing a new UCLA TAP card, select whether you would like to pick up your TAP card or have it mailed to you.
3. If you have an existing UCLA TAP card, the co-pay will automatically load within four business days. To begin using it immediately, bring your TAP card to the Central Ticket Office (CTO) to have the card force loaded.
4. Load funds to your card at CTO, a TAP vendor location, or by calling 1-866-TAPTOGO (1-866-827-8646)
5. TAP your card when you board and ride for $0.70
- Long Beach Transit (LBT)
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The UCLA/Westwood Commuter Express Powered by Long Beach Transit offers three commuter buses in the morning and three in the evening Monday through Friday.
Learn more about the stops, schedules, and how to purchase fares.
- LADOT Commuter Express
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Eligible UCLA students and employees can purchase a quarterly or 20-trip pass for Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) Commuter Express buses at a discounted rate. There are currently three direct routes to UCLA:
• Line 431: Westwood to/from Downtown LA
• Line 534: Westwood to/from Downtown LA/Union Station
• Line 573: Westwood to/from EncinoLearn more about the stops, schedules, and how to purchase fares.
- Santa Clarita Transit (SCT) Commuter Express
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Take advantage of convenient routes and schedules on SCT Commuter Express buses (Route 797/792), offering direct service between several Santa Clarita Valley communities and UCLA/Westwood.
Learn more about the stops, schedules, and how to purchase fares.
- Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA)
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Enjoy direct service between Lancaster/Palmdale and UCLA with quarterly passes for the AVTA Commuter Express bus (Route 786) at a subsidized rate.
Learn more about the stops, schedules, and how to purchase fares.
- EZ Transit Pass
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The EZ transit pass is the easy choice for convenience and savings if you regularly ride on two or more transit agencies like LADOT Commuter Express and Metro bus.
UCLA Transportation subsidizes monthly passes for Zone 0 and Zone 1. The monthly pass is good for local travel on 24 different public transit carriers throughout the Greater Los Angeles region.
- Rider Tips
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Most public transit providers operate in the same manner and their services are easy to use if you follow a few simple guidelines.
Make sure you know what bus line you'll be taking. It is quite possible for more than one bus line or service provider to arrive at the stop where you are waiting. Knowing the specific transit provider (e.g., Metro, Santa Monica, Culver City, LADOT) and the route name (e.g., Line 6 Sepulveda Blvd) is important. Be sure to note any special information regarding the route on the schedule, such as express or limited service.
Have enough cash on hand. Better yet, get a Transit Access Pass (TAP) online through the BruinTAP for Transit portal. Most buses require exact change and may require an additional charge when you transfer to another bus or use an express route. Knowing the entire cost of your trip ahead of time will make it much easier when you board the bus.
Hail the bus like you would hail a cab. Don’t assume that the driver will know you are waiting for their particular bus. Buses do not automatically stop at all posted locations. It is customary to signal the bus just as you would hail a cab. Once aboard, be sure to let the driver know you want to get off before you arrive at your destination. All buses have a cord or pressure strip you can activate to indicate you want to get off at the next posted stop.
Roll with it. All the preparation in the world can be affected by weather, traffic accidents and other delays. Arrive for your bus at least five minutes before the schedule indicates and be prepared with an alternate plan in case you or the bus is delayed or canceled. If your commute is particularly time sensitive, try riding an earlier bus.
Additional Resources
Transit App or Moovit (Trip Planning Apps)
Commute Options
Expo Line Extension
