Reducing Emissions

Sustainable Transportation

As the largest private employer in greater Philadelphia and a destination for thousands of daily commuters, Penn recognizes the significant impact of auto travel on the atmosphere. Penn’s compact urban campus is well served by a variety of alternative transportation modes suitable for reducing the amount of single automobile commutes to and from the University.

The strategies of the Climate Action Plan will leverage this extensive network of subway, bus, regional rail, national rail, car-sharing, and trolley lines that are located around the campus.

Implementing the Climate Action Plan will:

Improve the fuel efficiency of Penn’s vehicle fleet
Increase the number of Penn employees using alternative transportation and decrease the University’s reliance on air travel
Improve bicycle and pedestrian environments

Getting Around Penn

	Walking Penn is a pedestrian friendly environment with Locust Walk, a pedestrian street, running through the center of campus.The majority of Penn students walk to class, and a large percentage of staff and faculty who live in the area also walk to work.
	Biking Bike parking is available throughout campus -- click here to view a campus map and check the 'Bike Racks' box at the top of the map to see all locations. If you're interested in biking beyond campus, click here for a map of Philadelphia bike paths. Visit the Division of Public Safety website for information on bicycle safety. Penn also collaborates with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia to educate riders and motorists about bicycle safety and etiquette. PennCycle PennCycle is a student-run organization on Penn's campus, providing rental bike options to PennCard holders. Learn more about the program, and view additional bike safety tips, visit PennCycle.org.
	PENN TRANSIT SERVICES Penn Transit Services offers bus, shuttle, paratransit, and charter services to University of Pennsylvania community. New features to the Penn Transit website include a GPS tracking system that allows users to pinpoint the location of Penn Transit buses on their East and West routes. Transit Subsidies For faculty and staff, Penn provides 10 percent discounts (SEPTA only) and pre-tax benefits for all public transit in Philadelphia and surrounding communities through SEPTA’s Commuter Pass Program and TransitCheks. For full-time students, Penn offers a semester-based transit pass, PennPass.
	PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Located in the City of Philadelphia, Penn is well centered for various forms of public transportation. Local Transportation Options: Loop Through University City (LUCY) Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Amtrak
	Regional Transportation Options: New Jersey Transit (NJTransit) Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) Delaware Transit Corporation (DART) Bolt Bus, Mega Bus, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Trailways, and Greyhound Bus
	PARKING Penn Parking Services works hard to provide adequate and sustainable parking facilities for the purposes of commuters. Having piloted LED lights and bike parking in parking garages, this program is looking to make it's services as sustainable as possible. New buildings already incorporate accommodations for alternative fuel vehicles, like charging stations for electric cars (21 in the newly completed Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine underground parking garage, saving 36 MTCDE a year). Many Penn parking lots provide reserved spaces for PhillyCarShare vehicles.
	CARPOOLING Penn has partnered with various carpooling organizations to improve the efficiency of automobile useage and reduce congestion on campus. The services are: ZimRide, Share-A-Ride from the Clean Air Council, and AlterNetRides.
	CAR SHARING Although it is easy to get around Penn and Philadelphia on foot, by bike or using a variety of public transit options, there are still times when a car might be necessary. In other cases, you might still need a car for your commute - but would like a more sustainable option. For more ride-sharing options at Penn, including the University's Vanpool and Emergency Ride Home Programs, visit the Penn Transit website. PhillyCarShare In 2008, Penn partnered with PhillyCarShare, a local non-profit founded by Penn alumni, to become the largest North American university car share partnership. With over 30 cars within a ten-block radius of campus, these cars, rented by the hour, offer students, faculty, and staff the mobility of their own car without the cost. The membership of this service reports owning 10,000 fewer cars than they would otherwise. As part of this partnership, Penn staff receives discount rental rates, allowing for a reduction in fleet size. Zipcar Penn has also contracted with Zipcar to provide members of the Penn community with the convenience of driving a car without the hassle of owning one. Zipcar, the world's largest car sharing service, offers over 30 different makes and models, which can be rented by the hour or by the day. Gas, insurance and up to 180 miles of driving is included with each 24-hour reservation.