Here’s a new video from UCLA that school officials say is specifically aimed at new employees to familiarize them with alternative transportation options available at UCLA before their first day of work. The video will be incorporated into the new employee orientation process campus-wide.

Of course, at some future juncture, the video will need a big update when the Westside/Purple Line Extension’s Wilshire/Westwood Station opens. The station will be a short walk into the heart of Westwood Village and/or a nice walk, bike or short bus ride into the heart of UCLA’s campus.

The news release is after the jump.

“Be a Smarter Commuter”

New video aims to positively influence new-hires commute behavior to UCLA

February 4, 2013

“There are many things I love about taking public transit to work. One, and the most important, is that traffic is not my problem anymore. I leave that to the people that are driving,” says Armando Escobar, UCLA Conference Services. Escobar’s testimonial is one of 11 in “Be a Smarter Commuter,” a new five-minute video produced by UCLA Events & Transportation. Aimed at informing and educating the campus community on the benefits of traveling to UCLA without a car, the video features UCLA employees who have made the smart decision commute to campus by public transit, bicycling, carpooling, vanpooling and walking,

“This video will help move us forward in achieving the campus’ efforts in UCLA’s Climate Action Plan to reach the 50/50 commute mode split goal for staff and faculty by 2014,” said Penny Menton, Senior Associate Director for Events & Transportation. The goal set forth in the Climate Action Plan is to reduce the number of employees who are solo drivers (single occupancy vehicle commuters) to 50%. (See page 42, Table 8-2). Currently, 53.4% of the University’s employees drive alone to campus.

“Be a Smarter Commuter” is specifically aimed at new employees to familiarize them with alternative transportation options available at UCLA before their first day of work. “The video will be incorporated into the new employee orientation process campus-wide and also be used to encourage current employees and commuting students to come to campus using healthier and more sustainable commute modes,” said Menton.

The video will also be shared with campus departments such as UCLA Health System, Campus Human Resources, Academic Personnel, and Human Resource Advisory Group, for wider distribution to current and new employees.

“We intend to distribute this video across campus via websites, REACH TV, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other social media outlets, as well as integrating it with UCLA’s upcoming Healthy Campus Initiative, Events & Transportation’s current Watch for Bruins campaign and future sustainability efforts,” said Menton.

The “Be a Smarter Commuter” video can be viewed at bit.ly/uclasmartercommuter.