On May 21, UBC will move to a new system called Workday for courses starting in September 2024. Check your email that day for setup instructions. Summer Session students will continue using SSC.

If you’re a commuter student, you’ll likely use public transit often. Here’s what you need to know.
June 27, 2017
2 mins read

Taking public transit to and around campus

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U-Pass

Your U-Pass provides unlimited access to bus, SeaBus, and SkyTrain transit services within Metro Vancouver, and discounts on the West Coast Express, for a low, monthly fee that’s included in your student fees.

The U-Pass has to be loaded onto your Compass card each month. As long as you keep up to date with tuition payments, the U-Pass will serve you September to April (and the summer if you take summer courses).

The Compass card system is super simple: you tap on when you get on a bus, and tap on and off at SkyTrain stations and on the SeaBus.

Bus Routes

Bus routes

There are a number of busses that you should know to help you get to and from UBC. Google Maps is your friend, and so is the Transit App, and you can use either to plan out your trips and get up-to-date information on when your bus should arrive. Check out this page to see where you can catch your required bus on campus.

Some quick tips about bussing:

  • The 99 is a classic bus that will take you to Commercial Drive from UBC along Broadway. It is also the most crowded bus in the world (don’t fact-check me) and is not your friend if you’re hoping to hop on at a stop near UBC at 10 am. Plan your commute well!
  • The 4 and 44 will get you downtown pretty quickly during the day, and the N17 will get you there at night.
  • If you’re going into Kerrisdale, you can basically take any of the 41, 43, or 480. Pretty sweet!

Also, here are a few tips for being a good and helpful transit-taker:

  1. Remove your backpack! Trust me, being knocked around by an over-stuffed backpack on a long bus ride is no fun. Plus, they take up too much space.
  2. The seats near the front of the bus are priority seating for people with disabilities, seniors, and passengers with children/strollers. Stay aware if you’re sitting near the front of the bus, and don’t be that person who is too engrossed with their phone to notice someone who needs a seat.
  3. Be aware of your surroundings, and act accordingly. This includes keeping the volume of your music down, not taking up extra seats, and generally being accommodating of other people’s personal space.

Community Shuttles

UBC has two community shuttles: the C20 and the C18. They each do a loop around campus (one clockwise, the other counterclockwise) and run every 30 minutes. Check out this map to see which one you should take to reach different areas around campus, including residences. The shuttles accept the same fare as other transit services (i.e. use your Compass Card/U-Pass if you have one).

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