Please email commute@lbl.gov with your thoughts and questions.
Transportation
With the limited public transportation options, will the Lab reimburse me for rideshare or other costs to get to work?
No. The Lab can not use federal funds to reimburse employees for the costs of commuting to/from work, as the government has determined that commute is a personal expense.
If I have health concerns about utilizing public transportation when the Lab resumes operations, will the Lab reimburse me for rideshare or other costs to get to work?
No. The Lab can not use federal funds to reimburse employees for the costs of commuting to/from work, as the government has determined that commute is a personal expense.
What incentives are available for using public transportation or ridesharing applications? Can we receive discounts or tax breaks?
Wage Works uses pre-tax dollars to pay for your transit cost, including bus, train, BART, and vanpool. Place an order for a set monthly amount, up to $270, to come out of your paycheck, and the money is deducted and applied to your choice of a transit smart card such as a Clipper card or AC Transit pass. Lab employees can also use Wageworks to pay for Uber rides. Unfortunately, Uber seems to have a rule that only 5+ passenger seat cars are eligible for Wageworks. Another option is 511.org, which offers subsidies of up to $350 per month per vanpool to get to work.
Can we offer employees incentives to not drive or carpool?
It’s a good thought, and we need to determine what’s realistic. Transportation is considered a personal expense under the Lab’s contract, so we have to find ways to incentivize that don’t involve federal funding. That said, the Lab is exploring opportunities for financial incentives that may be applicable through other agency opportunities.
Does the Lab have a flexible work option policy?
Yes, the Lab has a flexible work option policy. Lab staff is encouraged to discuss options for balancing work-life needs with their supervisors.
Have we considered additional ride-sharing apps for employee commutes?
LBNL has a partnership with Scoop Commute to facilitate carpool matches for riders and drivers in the LBNL community.
How can we encourage motorcycles as a commute option? What if we offer motorcycle safety classes and change travel and parking policies to encourage motorcycle use?
Driving a motorcycle on-site does not require regular hours parking privileges. Additionally, the Lab has 25 dedicated parking locations across the Lab and very lenient policy on where motorcycles are permitted to park. See the Lab’s parking policy for further information.
Bikes
How can we better promote e-bikes at the Lab?
This Parking & Transportation website has a page dedicated to bikes that include a lot of useful information to support biking at LBNL, including route maps, shuttle options, and Lab shower locations. The Lab has a partnership with Ridepanda to offer monthly e-bike leases to the Lab community. Also, Lab staff and affiliates can take advantage of discount e-bike purchases through the UC E-bike discount program.
Do we maintain a map of bike racks and shower facilities at the Lab?
Yes! Thanks to a community suggestion, we’ve added a layer for bike racks and another for showers on the Lab’s Interactive Site Map. You can find these under Layers in the lower left corner.
Can we install charging stations for e-bikes?
Most e-bike batteries are portable and can be brought into your work area to charge instead of charging at the location where the bike is parked. Charging the e-bike battery is allowed at the Lab, but you must get approval from the Lab’s Fire Marshal, Mike Torkelson at fire@lbl.gov.
What is the best way to bike to the Lab from east of the Oakland-Berkeley hills?
Your best option is probably taking Wildcat Canyon Road through Tilden Park. Another option is to take a bike path to a BART station, then taking BART and hopping on an LBNL shuttle. A couple of bike path options include the St. Stephens trail to the Orinda BART station and the Iron Horse trail to one of several BART stations.
Shuttles
Can we create a shuttle route for the Pleasanton area? How about Walnut Creek? The Peninsula?
Unfortunately, we’re unable to use LBNL shuttles to service these areas. Our funding is very restrictive on how we allocate funds for transportation solutions, and we’re constrained to the immediate area of the main LBNL campus and between LBNL facilities.
Can we add stops to the Potter Street/ JBEI shuttle route? Can we extend the Potter Street route to include a stop at the Amtrak station? Can we run that shuttle earlier than 8 a.m.?
All great ideas! Beginning in May 2019, we added several stops on the Potter Street route and now start this route at 7:08 a.m., an hour earlier than previously. While the route doesn’t stop right in front of the Amtrak station, the JBEI stop is a very short walk from the Emeryville station.
Have we considered routing the North Berkeley shuttle to include Grizzly Peak Boulevard?
We have looked at this but do not have a business reason for routing in this manner, so our funding restrictions don’t allow for it.
Have we considered alternate routes for the Blue and Orange shuttles to improve efficiency?
The current Orange and Blue routes reflect the most efficient way to provide shuttle service on-site and around the UCB campus to the Lab community, but we’re always exploring ways to better serve the Lab community’s transportation needs. We’re hoping to move to a new on-site model in the future that will improve on-site service.
Parking
Why doesn’t the Lab have more carpool spots?
The Lab currently has 35 spaces dedicated to carpools until 10 a.m. on workdays. We’re actively monitoring the use of these spaces to assess demand and will adjust the number, locations, and hours based on our needs.
How is stacked parking enforced?
Stacked parking enforcement will remain the same: Everyone is required to display a stack parking permit or facsimile that lists their name and contact info. Go to Stack Parking for more information.
What do we do if we’re renting a car or borrowing someone’s car?
Every personal vehicle driven on-site must be registered with Site Access at https://hris.lbl.gov. It is highly recommended you register the rental or borrowed vehicle plate in advance, or Security can assist you at the Lab gate.
Can people use car-share services, such as Lyft or Uber, for coming to or leaving the Lab?
Yes. Visit the How to Gain Site Access For: Deliveries, Friends and Family Drop-Offs, and Rideshares page for more information.
Have we considered attendant-assisted parking?
Yes, we had attendant-assisted parking in the Blackberry Pit (Lot D) beginning in 2019 and 2020. If our parking demand begins to exceed our supply, we will pursue this option again.
How does enforcement work in the horseshoe lot? How do we ensure that campus employees are not parking there?
Requirements to park in the horseshoe lot are the same as parking within the Lab gates. Security patrols this lot daily and reviews a sampling of plates each day
Has the Lab looked at off-site parking, such as the lot behind the Greek Theater or Lawrence Hall of Science
Yes. We did so in 2019 and 2020. The spaces, conveniently located near the Lawrence Hall of Science, were barely utilized despite a dedicated, convenient shuttle service between the lot and the Lab. This was not a cost-effective investment.
