There are many transportation options for navigating to each SRJC campus. From a sustainability perspective, driving alone in a conventional gas or diesel vehicle emits the greatest amount of carbon dioxide. Sustainable SRJC encourages students, staff, and faculty to adopt an alternative commute at least once a week in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation to and from our campuses.
At the time of our 2017 transportation survey, we found that 64% of students and 80% of employees regularly drive alone to SRJC. There is certainly room for improvement. Students may ride free on local buses by simply showing drivers a valid Student ID card when boarding the vehicle. In addition, SRJC offers a limited number of discounted semester SMART passes available to purchase in the Santa Rosa accounting office and Petaluma student life office. Walking, biking, and other non-motorized mobility options are healthy ways to keep active and get to school.
Employees interested in commuting via transit or incorporating transit into their current routine should consider enrollment in the Commuter Benefits Program offered through the payroll office. This program allows employees to allocate monthly pre-tax dollars from their paycheck toward transit fares.
At SRJC, we strive to make access easy and equitable for all. The Disability Resources Department (DRD) facilitates equal access (for qualified students) to community college education through services, academic accommodations, and educational assistance courses in accordance with state and federal law. Students with verified disabilities are encouraged to request services through this department.
Clipper BayPass
New Pilot Public Transportation Program
Fall 2022-Summer 2024
Sonoma County has a variety of transit options to get residents where they need to go without a personal vehicle. 28% of SRJC students get to campus by alternative modes. They know that a bus, train, carpool, bike, scooter or walking trip saves money and reduces the stress of commuting and parking. Students and staff can use 511.org to find the best way to get to campus.
Click the icons below to get more information about how to get around using different modes.
Walk to School
Walking to school is by far the most affordable commute option. It provides some exercise, helps reduce commuter congestion, and contributes no greenhouse gas emissions.
Walkable Housing Tool
Walk Score is a website and an app for Android and Apple devices that helps users find apartments and rentals and see the Walk Score of any address. Walk Score calculates the walkability of any location and shows you a map of nearby restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, schools, and more.
Current planning and project timelines expect on-campus student housing available in 2022.
Commute by Bike
Many paths and areas in Sonoma County are bike-friendly. You should plan to wear a helmet when cycling, and always lock your bike when you arrive at your destination. No permit is required to park your bike on campus. Bicycles must be parked by racks or in BikeLink lockers. Any bicycle parked in a hazardous manner or chained to a ramp, pole, tree, etc. may be impounded by District Police. Bicycles are NOT allowed anywhere inside buildings (by order of the Fire Department). Bicycles can be taken on buses and the SMART train but must be walked on pedestrian pathways for the safety of the rider and pedestrians. Cycling is allowed only on roadways and in parking lots.
Bike Theft Prevention Tips:
- Know your bike's serial number.
- Register your bike with the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition.
- Register your bike with the Bike Index.
- Use a U-Lock with a key. Cable locks can be easily cut; expect to spend over $35 for a good lock.
- Learn how to properly lock your bike. Watch a video.
- Take photos of your bike in case it goes missing.
- Keep the receipt of purchase for your bike.
- Tweet the serial number of a used bike you're purchasing to @isitstolen to find out if it has been reported as stolen.
Map your route to campus using Google Maps or Strava - from your desktop browser or as a smartphone app.
Air Quality Index: Click HERE for today's air quality.
Bicycle Repair Station: Santa Rosa & Petaluma Campuses
Want to bike to campus, but you're afraid of a bike breakdown? No worries! SRJC has you covered at both our Santa Rosa and Petaluma campuses. Our bicycle repair stations feature common repair tools and a tire pump. Tire patches are available for purchase in the SRJC Bookstore.
Visit the Bike SRJC webpage for more information.
Bus Transit
Any Line, Any Time... SRJC students ride FREE on local bus lines!
Santa Rosa Junior College has partnered with Sonoma County Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus, and Petaluma Transit to waive students' bus fares.
How can you ride free?
Step 1: Get a SRJC Student I.D. Card. First Time purchase: The cost of a virtual ID will continue to be $5. You may purchase an ID through yourCubby portal. Already Paid? If you have already purchased an ID in the past, you will not be required to pay again to get a virtual ID. This includes students who purchased an ID for fall 2020 but have not yet received an ID.
Step 2: To set up your Virtual ID online, go to cubcard.santarosa.edu using your SRJC (myCubby) log in and password..
Step 3: Plan your route using Google Maps, 511.org, TransitApp, or CityBus Trip Planner.
Step 4: Hop on the bus and show the driver your SRJC ID and you're good to go!
OTHER INFO: You can CALL Santa Rosa CityBus at 707-543-3333 for bus stop or route information, or TEXT "SR80" + your stop ID number to 321-123. (For example, text SR80241 to get real-time bus info for stop ID 241.)
Rail Transit
In our continuing efforts to provide sustainable transportation alternatives for our students, SRJC has partnered with SMART on a special Pilot 31-day student pass. Ordinarily, this type of 31- day pass - which covers all SMART fares - would cost $135., already a discount. Student transportation fees help subsidize this price further, reducing it to only $70.
To purchase passes, contact SRJC Student Life at (707) 527-4424 for more information.
• The 31-day student pass cannot be sold, transferred, or duplicated, and may not be used by anyone other than the student to whom it is issued, including family and friends. If someone other than you is found using your 31-day student pass, that person risks a fine.
• Students must tag their 31-day student pass on the Clipper reader at the SMART platform each time they embark and disembark the train.
• SMART may replace damaged, lost, or stolen 31-day student pass at its discretion and only if upon purchase the 31-day student pass has been registered at Clippercard.com by scrolling down to New to Clipper.
Sonoma County Transit’s Route 44 is a link to and from the Petaluma SMART Depot - free for SRJC students with a current CubCard, as are other SMART Connectors and Shuttles available through Sonoma County Transit. Get off at the Santa Rosa North or Downtown station and walk or bike to campus (between one and two miles)!
Plan your trip here.
Electric Vehicle Charging
If you are a Sonoma County Junior College (SCJCD) student, faculty, or staff, and would like to charge your plug-in for up to four hours from any of the electric vehicle charging stations at Santa Rosa Campus, Petaluma Campus, Public Safety Training Center, or Shone Farm, please complete the following steps.
Step 1: Register for a ChargePoint Account
Click on this link to register for a ChargePoint account.
Step 2: Download Mobile App or Order ChargePoint Card
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Click on this link to download the ChargePoint mobile app.
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Click on this link and follow the included steps to order a ChargePoint card. To activate your ChargePoint card, click here.
Step 3: Learn How to Use ChargePoint
The Sonoma County Junior College District charges $1.50 per hour of charging for the first four hours, then $2.50 per hour after that. These fees help cover the increasing electrical costs the District shoulders, plus ongoing maintenance of charging stations.
Charging Locations
- Santa Rosa Campus: Zumwalt Parking Structure (three charging ports), Emeritus Lot (four charging ports)
- Petaluma Campus: Lot 5 (four charging ports)
- Public Safety Training Center: Off Freedom Way (four charging ports)
- Shone Farm: two charging ports
Carpool to School
Student Carpool Parking Permit
Tired of circling endlessly to find a parking spot and get to class on time? Make parking a breeze with a carpool permit!
- A limited number of Spring 2020 carpool permits are available now for $30 each at Bailey Hall's accounting office.
- Permits provide access to 30 reserved parking spaces in Santa Rosa - 10 each in Bech, Emeritus, and Zumwalt lots.
- Carpool spaces are conveniently located close to classrooms.
- There must be at least two students in your car when you enter a carpool space.
- There must be at least two carpool permits affixed to the windshield of your car, visible from outside, when you park in a carpool space.
Save money, save time, save the planet - one ride at a time.
Find an SRJC rider or driver at 511.org or pick a neighbor or friend from class to share a ride!
Waze Carpool matches drivers and riders who commute from the same location to the same destination at the same time. Drivers can post their route on Waze; Waze Carpool is a separate app that allows riders to locate drivers. Since this ride-matching app is somewhat new in Sonoma County, we need your help to establish a pool of both drivers and riders in order to make the most of it. As a driver, you will make the standard IRS mileage rate of $0.58 per mile, which can help cover your fuel and maintenance costs. Rides must be scheduled the day before to ensure they are matched and confirmed.
Three Steps to Carpool:
- See who’s on your route: With Waze Carpool, you choose who you carpool with based on detailed profiles, star ratings, and commonalities — shared interests, same workplace, and more — as well as price and distance of route.
- Offer/request a ride: Found someone? Simply offer a ride (drivers) or request a ride (riders), and wait for a reply. You'll be notified as soon as the ride is confirmed.
- Enjoy your commute! Drivers are guided by Waze on the fastest route, while riders can follow their progress on the map in real-time. When the ride is over, payment is transferred from rider to driver automatically. Use code 511WAZE for a free ride!
Scoop is another carpool service that brings together co-workers, students, and neighbors with matching commutes. Enter your trip information by 3:30 pm for your afternoon commute, or 9 pm the night before your morning commute. Scoop automatically provides you with your match and trip itinerary. Register with promo code SCOOPME05 for a free first trip.
As more people download and register for these apps, more opportunities to match with people sharing similar routes emerge.
Drive Alone
Driving alone, according to the 2016 US Census, ranks as Americans' second-highest expense after housing. Maintaining a private vehicle can be costly, and driving alone worsens traffic, parking shortages, and smog. For many, driving alone seems to be the only viable commuting option. Nonetheless, we hope you consider walking, biking, carpooling, or taking public transportation at least once a week to reduce your carbon footprint.
Tip: If you must drive to the Santa Rosa campus, we recommend you try the parking lot behind My Friend Joe Coffee near Elliott Ave. and Mendocino Ave., which can be accessed from Mendocino Ave. or Silva Ave. This lot is available to students with valid SRJC parking permits, and often has open spaces; instead of wasting time and gas circling or idling in the Bech or Emeritus lots, park here and walk three minutes to campus.
Parking
The Santa Rosa campus parking map, which includes EV charging stations, bike racks and lockers, and student and staff parking, is available here.
More parking information is available through Campus Police.
Open Student Parking on the Santa Rosa Campus
- Emeritus Lot
- Bech Lot
- Bech Annex
- Bear Cub Way
- Scholars Way
- Student Parking in Lot C
- Mendocino P
- Parking Lot behind Campus Market & Deli at 1880 Mendocino Ave.
Student Carpool Parking
- 30 designated spaces at the Santa Rosa campus
- 10 spaces in the center of the Bech lot, conveniently located close to classrooms
- 10 spaces in the center of the Emeritus/Race lot, conveniently located close to classrooms
- 10 ground-floor spaces near the northern entrance of Zumwalt Parking Garage
- 10 designated spaces at the Petaluma campus in Lot 4 near Building 600
Additional FREE Student Parking
Students receive free parking at the City of Santa Rosa 7th Street parking garage and connecting transit on Santa Rosa CityBus.
- Park at the garage: 521 7th Street, Santa Rosa.
- At the Cherry Street bus stop, take Santa Rosa CityBus (Route 1, 20, 48, or 60) to campus (a bus comes every 15 minutes; travel time is 10 minutes).
- While on campus, get a pass to leave the garage from either Student Affairs in Bertolini or Accounting in Bailey Hall.
For more information on bus schedules and maps, go to https://www.srcity.org/1661/Maps-and-Schedules.
Air Travel
In addition to the carbon emissions associated with commuting on the ground, air travel is a significant contributor to our greenhouse gas output. Sustainable SRJC is working to collect baseline data from staff and students' district-sponsored air travel in order to set emission-reduction goals.
Despite modest declines in American gasoline consumption in 2018 compared to previous years, the air travel industry is surging at a time when our window to limit catastrophic global warming is closing in. An unfortunate consequence of a growing economy is that emitting activities increase accordingly - such as manufacturing, travel, and power use.
Emissions from flying are difficult to measure, as a number of factors must be considered - including distance traveled and the age of the aircraft. Planes require a huge amount of energy just to get in the air, meaning that shorter flights can actually have a higher carbon intensity than longer ones. In addition to carbon, airplanes emit other heat-trapping particles (namely, nitrogen oxide and sulfates) at cruising altitude. Due to a lack of federal regulation on CO2 emissions in the American air travel industry, our airlines aren't as sustainable as those of countries with emission restrictions in place. Efficient aircraft and high occupancy rates improve airline rankings from Atmosfair, a German nonprofit dedicated to climate-friendly air travel; Alaska Airlines is the only US-owned company among their top 30 airlines worldwide.
With air quality listed as the leading environmental threat to public health in 2018's Environmental Performance Index, it’s time to reconsider how we fly. Individually, we can weigh alternative options when traveling, and make choices with our carbon footprint in mind. Train travel emits up to 10 times less greenhouse gas than flying, and high-speed trains can be three times more energy-efficient than regional trains. Even cars are better than airplanes when it comes to carbon. So next time you plan a trip, think about where you can go via train or car before booking that flight.
Other things to consider when traveling are your lodging accommodations and activities. Choose a destination that values sustainability, research eco-friendly hotels, and support local economies. Bring your own reusable cutlery, water bottle, mug, and food container to help limit the waste you produce and save money in the process. Keep your showers short, and turn the lights off when you leave a room - just like you would at home. We can strive to leave places better than we find them.