VTA Eco Pass
The Eco Pass, available FREE to eligible hospital and university employees, allows unlimited travel on the following transit services:
- VTA buses (including express buses)
- VTA light rail
- Dumbarton Express
- Highway 17 Express
- Monterey-San Jose Express (requires MST special service card)
The Eco Pass is valid for the full calendar year, seven days a week. Stanford purchases these passes primarily for your commute to Stanford; however, there is no restriction on their use. You can use them to travel free to a Giants' game, to get to the airport, or to skip exorbitant parking rates while spending the day in the city.
Since Stanford pays for passes for all eligible employees, regardless of whether or not employees use them, it does not save the university or hospital any money if you return or do not request your transit passes. So, go ahead and request them – and use them as little or as often as you like.
The Eco Pass Clipper card can also be used as visual proof of fare for the Highway 17 Express and the Monterey-San Jose Express. Clipper is the all-in-one transit card for the Bay Area that keeps track of passes, tickets, and cash value loaded onto it. Stanford commuters will be able to use their Eco Pass Clipper card to ride VTA buses, express buses (including the Dumbarton Express), and light rail by tagging on at the Clipper card reader.
Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) now requires that a separate card be shown as proof of payment by Eco Pass riders.
To request the MST special service card, eligible employees must submit a headshot photo, which will be printed with their name on the MST card. Photos can be submitted online at transportation.stanford.edu/mstcard. The MST special service card is free to eligible commuters.
Eligibility
For university and hospital employees residing off Stanford property and within typical commuting distances.
Eligible | Not eligible currently |
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University and hospital employees who meet all of the following conditions:
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*Proof of residence off Stanford property will not be accepted for ineligible (94304, 94305, 94309) or blank ZIP codes in the P&TS database, and no exceptions can be made.
VTA Eco Pass Clipper card
(Updated Jan. 23, 2015)
Beginning with its 2015 pass, VTA transitioned the Eco Pass from a sticker affixed to employee ID cards to an Eco Pass loaded onto a Clipper card, which must be printed with the name and photo of the eligible employee.
Clipper is the all-in-one transit card for the Bay Area that keeps track of passes, tickets, and cash value loaded onto it. Stanford commuters will be able to load cash value or transit fares from many other Bay Area transit providers onto their VTA Eco Pass Clipper card.
P&TS produced free Eco Pass Clipper cards and mailed them to commuting employees who were eligible as of Dec. 2014.
- Eligible university (including School of Medicine) employees: You are not required to do anything at this time. If you were eligible as of Dec. 2014, but have not yet received an Eco Pass Clipper card in the mail, you can request one at the P&TS office.
- Eligible hospital employees:
- Stanford Health Care employees with hire dates on or after Nov. 10, 2014: P&TS has your photo and is working on producing your Eco Pass Clipper card and mailing it to your home address. Please allow 2 to 4 weeks for delivery.
- Stanford Health Care employees with hire dates before Nov. 10, 2014, AND Stanford Children’s Health employees: Submit a headshot photo of yourself using any internet-connected device at transportation.stanford.edu/vtaclipper. Allow 2 to 4 weeks after photo submission for delivery to your home address on file.
Instructions on use will be provided with the new Eco Pass Clipper card. Refer to How to Use Your New Eco Pass Clipper Card (PDF) for more information.
If you already have a Clipper card
To request a transfer of cash value from one card to another, wait until you have received your Eco Pass Clipper card, then contact the Clipper Customer Service Center at 877.878.8883 (TTY/TDD 711 or 800.735.2929) to request they transfer your cash value to the new card. There is a $5 fee for this service. Note that only cash value can be directly transferred.
Monthly passes and multi-ride tickets, including the VTA Eco Pass, cannot be transferred. If you have any monthly passes or multi-ride tickets on your current Clipper card that you are purchasing through our pre-tax payroll deduction program, they will need to be canceled on the existing card before they can be transferred to your new Eco Pass Clipper card. Please wait until you receive your Eco Pass Clipper card to cancel any existing transit orders. Questions about recurring transit orders, including transfer requests, can be sent to transportation@stanford.edu.
Notice regarding the Monterey-San Jose Express
(Updated July 29, 2015)
Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) now requires that a separate card be shown as proof of payment by Eco Pass riders.
To request the MST special service card, eligible employees must submit a headshot photo, which will be printed with their name on the MST card. Photos can be submitted online at transportation.stanford.edu/mstcard. The MST special service card is free to eligible commuters.
If your Eco Pass is lost, stolen, or damaged
If your pass is lost, stolen, or damaged, please fill out and submit the Lost/Damaged claim form or Stolen claim form. Even if you don't plan to use your Eco Pass, please report your ID and pass as stolen or lost to protect yourself in the event of fraudulent use of your identification and pass.
Stolen passes
If your Eco Pass was stolen, we encourage you to report it to our office regardless of whether you plan to replace the stolen pass(es). You may also want to file a police report. Reporting it stolen helps clear your name in the event your pass is used fraudulently.
If your pass was stolen for the first time and you provide a copy of the police report to our office, the replacement cost for the Eco Pass is free.
The report must explicitly state that your Eco Pass was stolen, and we must have an actual copy of the report, not just the report number. Note that filing a false police report is against the law (Penal Code 148.5).
If your pass was stolen, but you choose not to file a police report or if your report does not list the Eco Pass among the items stolen, the replacement cost is $5 for the Eco Pass.
If your Eco Pass is stolen a second time in the same year, the replacement fee for the Eco Pass (with or without a police report) is $25.
If your pass was stolen, but you choose not to file a police report, the replacement cost is $25 for the Eco Pass.
Lost passes
To replace a pass you've lost, the first-time replacement cost is $5 for the Eco Pass.
If you lose your pass twice, the replacement fee is $25 for the Eco Pass. All subsequent Eco Pass replacements are $25. There are no refunds for passes that are found after being reported lost or stolen.
Damaged passes
If your pass wears with use over time, your ID is damaged, or you replace your ID (e.g., name change), you may return your pass and receive another at no charge for up to two replacements. An Eco Pass cannot be replaced for a third time.
Replacing a damaged pass. If the pass itself has been damaged, a P&TS customer service representative will examine the pass for fraudulent activity, retain or remove
Under no circumstances will P&TS accept Eco Passes that are no longer affixed to your ID, nor will we accept Eco Passes that appear to have been subject to fraudulent activity.
Consequences of transferring the Eco Pass
Fraudulent use and transfer of the Eco Pass is a serious violation of the program. Stanford affiliates who are caught transferring their Eco Pass and individuals who accept an Eco Pass that was not issued to them, will face confiscation and potential fines up to $250. In addition, those affiliated with Stanford will immediately forfeit Commute Club privileges and the privilege of receiving future passes and prizes through Parking & Transportation Services.