Transportation Services

Traveling across campus, Philadelphia, and beyond! 

Penn Transit Services  

Penn Transit provides a comprehensive transportation system on and around campus within specific boundaries. Popular routes include Penn Bus East & Penn Bus West, which are available for all PennCard holders Monday through Friday, 5PM – 12 Midnight. 

The transportation system offers various buses and shuttles operating on predetermined routes around campus. All PennCard holders can access these services at designated stops on and off campus. For detailed information about routes and stops, including PennBUS West, PennBUS East, Shuttles, Lucy Gold, and Lucy Green, please explore the webpage Penn Transportation and Parking.

Penn Transit Mobile App: Available for download on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, the app allows you to request rides in advance and track their status. Once requested, a shuttle will pick you up and ensure a safe trip home. Please note that all pick-up and drop-off locations must be within the transit zone displayed in the app. This is a widely used and highly valued resource within the Penn student community.

To learn more, watch the short video explaining the benefits of the Penn Transit Mobile App.

Walking Escort Program

The Division of Public Safety offers a Walking Escort Program with specially trained uniformed security officers available to assist you. Please feel free to utilize this service to ensure your safety and peace of mind while navigating the campus area.

• Hours of Operation:
  • 24/7 Service: Escorts are available every day of the year within the area of 30th to 43rd Streets and Market Street to Baltimore Avenue.
  • Extended Hours: From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., the service area extends to 30th to 50th Streets and Spring Garden Street to Woodland Avenue.
• How to Request a Walking Escort
  • Ask a Public Safety Officer on patrol for assistance.
  • Call: (215) 898-WALK (9255) or dial 511 from any campus phone.
  • Use one of the many blue-light or building phones located on and off Penn’s campus for immediate help.

Cycling and Bike Sharing

Indego Bike Share is Philly’s public bicycle sharing system with a total of 125 stations. There are also six bicycle stations around Penn’s Campus. If cycling is your preferred mode of transport, explore Indego bike share on campus to learn how to get started.

SEPTA  

SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) is the nation’s sixth-largest public transportation system serving people in and around Philadelphia. The SEPTA website has information on public transportation including buses, trolleys, commuter rail trains, subways, and LUCY (the Loop through University City). 

Taxi / Ride-sharing Services

It is a good idea to take a taxi or ride-sharing service like Lyft or Uber if you must travel late at night and your route does not fall within the boundaries of Penn Transit. For International Students using the app for the first time, Uber and Lyft does require US Phone Number to use the service.

Driving/Renting a Car   

If you plan to be in Philadelphia for more than a year, you may consider applying for a PA Driver’s License, which will allow you to drive in the US. To rent a car, you could use companies such as Enterprise, Hertz or the National Car Rental. For parking information, check out the Penn Transportation and Parking site for comprehensive information on additional transportation options and parking resources. There are also many public parking facilities within walkable distance from Penn that offer monthly parking permits.

Traveling to New York, D.C. and Beyond    

Trains 

• SEPTA and New Jersey Transit 
  • Take SEPTA’s Trenton Line regional rail train to Trenton, NJ then change to New Jersey Transit train, which will take you to New York Penn Station. 
• Amtrak   
  • Amtrak trains can take you to major cities like New York, Washington, and beyond, though they tend to be significantly more expensive. 

Buses 

• Often a cheaper option for travelling to NYC or Washington. Options to explore include, but are not limited to: Greyhound, and Chinatown buses.  Check travel time and cost in advance. 

See the Travel and Pre-arrival sections for more information about domestic and international travel.