Campus Transportation and Parking Information for 2025-2026

CMU’s long-term vision for campus mobility continues to prioritize more sustainable transportation methods while offering flexibility and efficiency in our services. Please read the important campus transportation and parking information for the coming year below. For questions about these updates, please contact Transportation Services.

Shuttles

The university continues to update its shuttle technology and services:

• Vehicle upgrades: New shuttle vehicles were introduced last spring to provide better service and amenities for riders.

• Route updates and tracking: The GPS tracking system that monitors CMU shuttle locations in real time will be upgraded later this summer to the TripShot app. Updates to shuttle routes and frequency are also underway to better synchronize coverage with Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses and University of Pittsburgh shuttles, both of which CMU community members can ride for free. Keep an eye on the shuttle schedule webpage for details as they develop.

• Renamed evening service: Our evening/overnight transit service, previously known as our escort shuttle service, is getting a new name this fall — NightSafe Transit. It will continue to provide the same free late-night transportation for faculty, staff and students from campus to the Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods.

Bikes and Personal Wheeled Vehicles

Community members and visitors are welcome to use approved personal wheeled vehicles — such as bicycles, skateboards, in-line skates, stand-up scooters and Segways — to safely navigate campus. Below are a few important updates and reminders: 

• New POGOH bikeshare partnership: Starting this fall, CMU faculty, staff and students will be able to take unlimited free 30-minute rides on POGOH pedal and e-assist bikes. POGOH also will be expanding its network of bike stations to include several new locations on and near CMU’s campus. Learn more about POGOH and visit the bikes and wheels webpage for guidelines, resources, events and more.

• Dismount zones and paths: To ensure the safety of both pedestrians and riders, CMU has implemented dismount zones — areas where riders should dismount and walk their vehicles — in high-traffic areas around The Cut Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Riders who wish to avoid dismount zones can use the wheels-only path along the west side of the Cohon University Center and the shared wheels/pedestrian path around The Cut. Learn more about dismount zones and paths.

Parking

Annual parking permit rates, as well as hourly visitor parking rates, will remain at their current levels [pdf] through the 2025-2026 academic year, with no annual increase. We continue to update our parking technology to improve the access and experience of permit holders and visitors in our parking lots and garages. Keep reading for more parking details and important reminders.

Current Faculty/Staff Permit Holders

• Annual permit renewal: If you have a current parking permit, it will automatically renew — no action is required. Permits will be valid from Aug. 25, 2025, to Aug. 31, 2026, and fees will continue to be deducted monthly from your CMU paycheck. If you wish to cancel your permit or change your permit location, log into the CMU Parking Portal or contact the Transportation Services office.

Student Permits

• Annual permit application: Student permits do not automatically renew. Any student interested in a permit for the 2025-2026 parking year must apply.
  

• Online student permit sales: Students can purchase 2025-2026 parking permits by logging into the CMU Parking Portal starting at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 21, through 5 p.m. on Friday, July 25. All student permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be paid for online at the time of purchase. Once permits are sold out, your request will automatically be added to a waitlist.
  

• New student permit location: In addition to the existing student permit locations, students now have the option to purchase a parking permit for the Bakery Square South Garage at the remote lot rate of $810 per year. Learn more about accessing Bakery Square.

Other Important Parking Updates and Reminders

• Garage/lot access: Permit holders parking at non-gated facilities will continue to receive an annual hangtag, which will be mailed in mid-August to the home address listed in your CMU Parking Portal account. Please hang the tag on your rearview mirror when parking in your garage/lot. Permit holders who park at gated facilities should already have received an automatic vehicle identification (AVI) tag for no-contact entry/exit. Please do not discard the AVI tag, as they are permanent. If you do not have your AVI tag, you can use your CMU ID card at the gate to enter/exit.

• Free night and weekend parking: CMU offers free parking in the East Campus Garage for CMU community members from 6-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday. If you have an active CMU parking permit, you can access the free parking by scanning your CMU ID card at the garage entrance and exit. If you do not have an active CMU parking permit, you must opt in for the parking year by logging in to the CMU Parking Portal on or after Sept. 1 and purchasing a $0 Nights/Weekends permit. You can then use your CMU ID card to enter/exit the garage during the free hours.
  

• Head-in parking requirement: All vehicles must park “head in” in CMU garages/lots (i.e., pull forward into the spot so your rear license plate is visible) to allow our license plate recognition software to monitor the vehicles in our parking areas. Signs are posted in parking areas as a reminder.
  

• Parking Portal account: Log in to the CMU Parking Portal to view your parking permit information, update information about your registered vehicle(s), or add or change a permit waitlist. Please ensure the license plate information listed for your registered vehicle(s) is correct, as the university uses license plate recognition software to monitor vehicles in our garages/lots.
  

• Pre-paid visitor parking: Campus visitors can pre-book parking spaces in the East Campus Garage and the gated portion of the Morewood Lot via the ParkMobile app — just pre-pay for your spot online and scan the app’s QR code at the entrance gate.
  

• Real-time occupancy monitoring: With the recent upgrades to our parking technology, Transportation Services is now able to monitor garage occupancy and spot availability in real time. This information will help us better understand parking patterns so that we can offer additional flexible permit options for the CMU community. In the future, all parking customers will also be able to access this information to find available parking spots.