Parking & Transportation Services
Transportation OPTIONS
Parking & Transportation Services is pleased to announce the addition of Parking & Transportation Services OPTIONS. The OPTIONS plan is just another avenue of information for the Carnegie Mellon community to find alternative ways to travel to campus. It is your choice about the way you commute to campus, but we would like to offer you a few other options – carpooling, biking, walking, busing or vanpooling.
The Carnegie Mellon Parking & Transportation Services office is here to help you:
BIKING: Do you remember how fun riding your bike was as a kid? You can still receive the same rush, but only now we’re grown up and going to campus for work and class. Biking is a joyride for your mind and body—the perfect infusion of fun and healthy energy to get you where you need to be. Tune up your body and your budget every day.
There are bike racks available throughout the campus for bike storage, and Parking & Transportation Services has individual bicycle lockers for use by those who have a bicycle on campus, or for those who would like to commute to campus by bicycle. The lockers are made of steel and totally enclose the bicycle. There is also room for your helmet, riding shoes, etc. 8 lockers are available near Newell Simon Hall to anyone that holds a current bicycle registration (sticker on the bike). If your bike is not registered you may register for free with the Campus Police Department located in 300 S. Craig Street. Payment: Rentals are $35.00/year, plus a $5 key deposit, which will be refunded when you finish using your locker at the end of the rental period upon returning the key. The locker can be renewed for next year. If you would like to rent a locker please stop and speak with an associate from Parking & Transportation Services or call 268-2052.
WALKING: Walking is the easiest OPTION to get you to campus with a smile on your face. Each step saves you gas money and a lot of stress, and at the same time you are receiving the exercise that we all need. Snow shows its real beauty when you see it close-up. Say good-bye to the woes of traffic and searching for parking, and say hello to your new favorite time of day.
CARPOOLING: Your car and wallet will thank you because you will be cuttingdown on fuel, maintenance and repair bills by leaving your car at home occasionally. So, sit back and chat with your new carpool buddies. Have some coffee. Do a crossword, read the paper, and relax and enjoy the ride. For further information, please contact Commute Information at 1-888-819.6100.
VANPOOLING: For those employees commuting from outlying communities, this is a perfect OPTION for making better use of your precious time. At a small cost, you can enjoy the leisure of new free time while someone else gets you to campus on time. No more daily wear-and-tear on your car. Now you can read the morning paper, catch up on or prepare for the day’s work, or grab a few extra minutes of rest. This option is also available by calling 1-888-819.6110 or visiting the vanpooling website3.
BUS: FREE - Carnegie Mellon and Port Authority Transit (PAT) have an agreement under which benefits-eligible faculty, staff and students may ride any PAT vehicle, for either business or personal travel, without charge. Use of this option by the Carnegie Mellon community has increased tremendously since the program was introduced in the late 90s. The rider will be required to show a valid university ID. Bus stickers are no longer needed, as they are now part of the university ID card. Please visit the ID Card Office for more details. 4This OPTION is convenient and less stressful than driving. Sound good? Get on the bus and rest your mind. Maps and schedules to help you plan your best route are available at the Port Authority5 or Buskarma6. Paper copies of schedules are also available in the University Center, and on the buses. No worries—just time and space to enjoy your journey.
CAR-SHARING FOR THE FAMILY: Instead of owning two cars, consider giving one of them up and joining a national car-sharing program. A second car will be available when needed through your car-sharing membership. You pay a fee to maintain your membership, and then pay-as-you-drive for use of a car shared with others in your community. More and more people are joining this money-saving, convenient program. Does it really make sense to be paying for two cars full-time? Think smart and call the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership for more information at 412-325-0158.
NEW FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLE: With the rising cost of gas, are you and your family ready to purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle? If the answer is yes, then visit the Carnegie Mellon Procurement Services website7 for more information on the GM Supplier Discount program.
So make good use of your transportation OPTIONS. For tips, tools and information for making your Carnegie Mellon commute safe, healthy & affordable, please contact us at: http://www.cmu.edu/parking8 or (412) 268-2052.