As a predominantly commuter school, San Jose State University has students coming to study from all across the Bay Area. Many students cannot afford to drive to campus, and have to pay over $2,000 out-of-pocket per semester for train & bus fares just to get to class. Those who drive have to spend over 20 minutes finding a spot in overcrowded parking garages.
Every day, over 20,000 students, faculty, and staff arrive on campus. But there are only 7,500 parking spaces. That math doesn't work — and it’s why transit matters.
Clipper BayPass is an unlimited transit pass that provides access to all bus, rail, and ferry services across the Bay Area, including VTA, BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, and more. With BayPass, students get unlimited rides on public transit for no more than $50 per semester.
BayPass isn’t just about getting from point A to B. It’s about unlocking the full Bay Area for students who otherwise couldn’t afford it. Whether it’s a job interview in Palo Alto, an event in Oakland, or a research trip in San Francisco, BayPass turns these into real options.
Students commuting from across the Bay Area often spend hundreds, sometimes thousands, just to get to class. That burden falls hardest on the 38% of SJSU students who commute from outside Santa Clara County.
Select a city to see what those students pay today, and how much BayPass could save them.
(Note: Statistics are from the 2 year pilot program which ended May 2024. See the full report here.)
BayPass Phase 1 Pilot — 7,000 Spartans got to experience free access to all bus, rail, and ferry services in the nine-county Bay Area region.
Phase 2 Vetoed — San Jose State University administration vetoes renewing BayPass for Phase 2 continuation, despite overwhelming usage in the Phase 1 pilot.
We’re continuing to organize for equitable transit access at SJSU and beyond.
Join us in our efforts to bring BayPass back!
We are independent undergraduate students at SJSU who think access to education should be a RIGHT — not dependent on owning a car.
Sam, an engineering technology student from Half Moon Bay, builds rider-first tools like Catenary and Routle, pairing open data and mapping to make Bay Area transit clearer and more connected.