Willow Glen Resident

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County buys $222,787 in public transportation passes, most unused

By Eli Segall

Santa Clara County spent $222,787 last year on public transportation passes, but only 37 percent of employees used the fee passes.

Of the nearly 26,000 EcoPasses that the county purchased as a perk to employees in 2006, only 9,200 county workers, or 37 percent, actually used them, said Kathy Miller of the county's human resources department. The rest of the passes sat untouched. The county's EcoPass user rate last year was the second lowest since 1999, when 36 percent of employees used it.

Since 1999, the county has participated in the EcoPass program, which offers county employees unlimited rides on Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority buses and light rail. The program is intended to improve air quality while providing employees an alternative to driving.

Participation peaked in 2002 and 2003 at 64 percent, but has steadily dropped ever since.

Despite the program's low user rate, the county has paid $249,375 to renew its membership for the 2007 calendar year. The county will not assess its 2007 distribution rate until the fall, Miller said.

Purchasing passes for only those who use them isn't an option. VTA requires all companies, nonprofit groups or government agencies participating in EcoPass to buy one for each member of its workforce.

Supervisor Don Gage says the program is not a waste of money despite the low percentage of users.

"The issue is, most people don't like to ride transit, but as the roads fill up and gas goes up, people will start using it," Gage said.

The percentage of county employees riding mass transit is higher than general regional figures. Approximately 4 percent of San Jose area residents use public transit for their daily commute, while 72 percent drive alone, according to a 2005 San Jose Transportation Department report.

More than 80 organizations enrolled in EcoPass this year, said Brandi Hall, a VTA spokeswoman . VTA does not track distribution rates for each company, she added.

"VTA knows that a small [percentage of people] may or may not use transit," Hall wrote in an e-mail. "The goal [of EcoPass] is to persuade those who straddle the fence to give transit a try."