Visitors / Employees
Go Car Free
Go Car Free
University City is the perfect place to get around without having to take your car. Regardless of whether you choose to walk, bike, take public transportation, carpool, or carshare, getting our of your car is a great way to meet your neighbors and explore your community while generating little or no emissions!
Walking
University City is among the most walkable neighborhoods in Philadelphia. One reason that people don’t feel comfortable walking is because they don’t feel safe, particularly at night. You can always call 215-898-WALK (9255) to request a walking escort from University City District or The University of Pennsylvania.
Bicycling
University City has over 25 miles of bike lanes and much less traffic than Center City, making it easy to get around by bike. Click herefor an interactive map of bike lanes in University and the city. The Bicycle Coalition is an advocacy group for bicyclists in Philadelphia and provides information on safe biking and maps of bike paths/lanes in greater Philadelphia. Check out their Quick Guide to Biking In Philly.
Public Transit
PUBLIC TRANSIT
With fast connections to Center City, the Philadelphia region, and the entire Northeast Corridor, University City sits at the hub of an astonishing array of transportation routes. You can get to University City from almost anywhere in the region via SEPTA
Take a look at this Map of public transit routes in University City
LUCY (Loop through University City) is a shuttle operating Monday through Friday, from 6:10am until 7:00pm, between 30th Street Station and University City. Managed by University City District and operated by SEPTA, LUCY is a great way to ease your commute. Rides are free for holders of a valid PennCard.http://www.dvrpc.org/gettransitchek/index.htm
TransitChek, offered by many University City employers, is a commuter benefit program where employees can purchase vouchers, on a pre-tax basis, that can be redeemed to purchase tickets and passes on regional public transit providers. With TransitChek, commuters can save more than $900 per year in federal income taxes!
Septa Pass Perks are available if you purchase a weekly or monthly SEPTA pass and offer discounts at local stores and restaurants.
Drexel Universityhttp://www.drexel.edu/oca/c/public_transportation.asp
Commuter Services of Drexel University offers discounts on both monthly SEPTA and New Jersey Transit passes for full-time graduate and undergraduate students.http://www.drexel.edu/hr/benefits/voluntary/compass/
The SEPTA ComPass Program offers discounts on monthly SEPTA passes for full-time and part-time benefits-eligible Drexel employees. Purchasing SEPTA tokens on campus ahead of time saves you money. Tokens are available in the Creese Student Center Lobby and cost $1.55 each (cash only), compared to the $2.00 cash fare for subways, busses and trolleys.
University of Pennsylvania
PennPass, which offers discounted rides on all SEPTA transit services, is available to full-time students.http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/transportation/partnership/compass.html
Commuter passes and the TransitChek program are available to full and part time employees.
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
University of the Sciences employees are able to pay for commuter expenses on a pre-tax basis. Contact the USP Human Resources office for more information.
Carpooling
In University City, 20.3% of commuters drove alone in 2008, while 5.7% carpooled. Why not share your next ride and cut your carbon footprint in half, or in thirds…http://www.zimride.com/p/
Zimride links you with a list of Philadelphia commuters who may be going your way.http://www.dvrpc.org/sar/
Share-A-Ride is a free service of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission that will match you up with someone going your way anywhere in the 5 county Southeaster PA region.http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/transportation/partnership/carpool.html
Car Sharing
University City is lucky to be served by two car sharing services. What’s a car share? It’s just a short term car rental where you pay by the hour with your gas and insurance costs covered by the rental agency. If you don’t own a car, car sharing fills in perfectly when you need to get somewhere that public transit or a bicycle can’t get you (like moving that new couch home from IKEA).
Find out more about our local car sharing services:
PhillyCarShare (map of vehicles)
Zipcar (map of vehicles)
Alternative Vehicles & Fuels
The Pennsylvania DEP offers a rebate on the purchase a new plug-in hybrid, plug-in electric, natural gas, propane, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
Biodiesel is a fuel derived from vegetable or animal fat that can be used in diesel engines. Biodiesel has the advantage of being made from domestic renewable resources and has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel. If you would like to purchase biodiesel for your car, truck, or van, a list of fueling stations in the Philadelphia area is available here. As of November 2011, Biodiesel was available at the following station in Philadelphia: Center City Shell Station 1135-45 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 Phone: 215-928-9181
Energy Cooperative distributes Biodiesel in the Philadelphia area. If you are a business owner or institution interested in using Biodiesel for your fleet, they can assist with your transition.