University of Pittsburgh
OP-17: Support for Sustainable Transportation

The University of Pittsburgh provides free unlimited 30-minute rides on POGOH pedal and e-assist bikes to all students and employees. POGOH is Pittsburgh’s nonprofit bike share program that has more than 60 stations, 200 pedal bikes, and 300 e-assist bikes across their growing network in Pittsburgh. This unique partnership has led to a significant increase in bike share ridership by the Pitt community. In calendar year 2023, Pitt community members took over 115,000 POGOH bike share rides. For comparison, in FY23 the Pitt community took 48,000 rides. In the first four months of FY24 (July – November 2023) the Pitt community took more than 71,000 rides – a significant year-over-year increase in bike share rides.

More than 3/4 of Pitt POGOH bike share rides are on e-assist bikes and 5 of the busiest POGOH stations in the network are on or near the University’s Pittsburgh campus. City-wide, Pitt riders make up more than half of POGOH’s rides.

The 2022 Pitt Commuter Survey revealed that nearly 2% of commutes to and from campus are on POGOH and 11% of POGOH rides displaced a motor vehicle trip.

>> Pitt’s POGOH partnership and offering - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/mobility/pogoh

>> 2022 Pitt Commuter Survey Results - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/university-pittsburgh-2022-commuter-survey

ENTERPRISE VEHICLE RENTALS

Since September 2019, Pitt employees and student groups reserve vehicles through the PantherExpress Travel Management Program using the Concur Online Booking Tool or the University’s Travel Management Company (Anthony Travel).

Additionally, in September 2020 the University announced an extension of its partnership with Enterprise Fleet Management to lease a total of 268 electric and hybrid vehicles, thus making the University’s fleet entirely leased (vs. owned) -- and much more efficient and impact reducing over time. As current vehicle leases expire, Enterprise is working with the University to replace vehicles with hybrid and electric vehicles.

>> Pitt / Enterprise Fleet partnership - https://www.enterprisemobility.com/content/enterpriseholdings/en_US/news-stories/news-stories-archive/2020/09/enterprise-extends-partnership-with-university-of-pittsburgh-to-support-transportation-need.html

>> Pitt’s leased vehicle program - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/fleet-services/university-leased-vehicles

ZIPCAR

International car-sharing membership program Zipcar offers Zipcars throughout the City of Pittsburgh and at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Several Zipcars are located on City streets within and near the University’s Pittsburgh campus. Zipcar offers membership discounts for all Pitt students, faculty, and staff including waiving the $25 application fee and just a $25 annual fee (savings of $45 annually); student leaders are eligible for a $0 application fee and $0 annual fee.

Additionally, when Zipcar first launched in Pittsburgh, the University worked with Zipcar to place a car near Benedum Hall as part of that building's LEED Gold achievement.

>> Zipcar’s Pittsburgh locations - https://www.zipcar.com/pittsburgh

>> Zipcar membership discounts offered to Pitt students, faculty, and staff - https://www.zipcar.com/universities/university-of-pittsburgh

COMMUTEINFO

Pitt partners with Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's CommuteInfo program to provide free ride-matching services and benefits for carpool and vanpool participants. As a registered carpool or vanpool with CommuteInfo, participants receive a complimentary roadside safety kit, qualify for the emergency ride home reimbursement service, and get assistance in recruiting new carpool or vanpool members upon request.

>> CommuteInfo - https://commuteinfo.org/for-commuters/commuting-options/carpool/#morphing

>> CommuteInfo Emergency Ride Home Reimbursement Service - https://commuteinfo.org/for-commuters/emergency-ride-home/

>> Pitt's Carpool & Vanpool information - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/mobility/car-vanpools

The University of Pittsburgh provides preferred parking for electric vehicles. Individuals with an Electric Vehicle (EV) Parking Permit are designated to park in a specific garage, but are able to charge at any Pitt-owned EV charger across campus. There are currently 42 chargers in 2 popular parking garages on campus and 4 more at our Logistics and Library Archives building and parking lot less than 3 miles from campus, giving EV Permit holders more flexibility to park at 2 popular, centrally-located garages than traditional parking permit holders.

Learn more about Pitt's EV parking permits: https://www.pts.pitt.edu/parking/permits/electric-vehicle

Through January 2023, the University’s Pittsburgh campus has total of 90 Level 2 charging stations located in University parking garages or lots. Chargers are located in the following areas:

- Posvar Garage - 16 Level II Chargers
- Soldiers & Sailors Garage - 26 Level II Chargers
- Meade Street Lot - 4 Level II Chargers
- Assembly Garage - 30 Level II Chargers
- Residences on Bigelow - 4 Level II Chargers (available to residents only)
- Schenley Garage – 10 Level II Chargers

Charging stations are available for use by both employees and students. Most Pitt EV chargers are currently being used by employees with paid EV Parking Permits, but are available to students on a semester basis by request.

>> Pitt's EV parking permits & charging stations - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/mobility/parking/electric-vehicle-charging

The University of Pittsburgh offers fare-free campus shuttle and Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) rides to employees (and students). This benefit allows employees living within PRT network and/or Pitt shuttle area a free and convenient transit mode not as directly accessible to employees who live outside the network (and thus further from campus). The 2022 Pitt Commuter survey revealed that more than 25% of commuters utilize these shared transit modes to get to and from campus.

>> 2022 Pitt Commuter Survey Results - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/university-pittsburgh-2022-commuter-survey

The University of Pittsburgh strives for convenient multi-modal access to and through our campus, prioritizing active, shared, and low carbon mobility, along with a walkable campus that enhances the health and safety of our community and the environment. We have a variety of transportation and mobility goals outlined in the 2018 Pitt Sustainability Plan and 2022 Pitt Climate Action Plan, including:

• COMMUTING: Embrace Pittsburgh 2030 District goal of 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from commuter travel by 2030 (below the 2013 Oakland neighborhood baseline).
• CARPOOL: Increase active Pitt registered carpools 2% annually between FY18 and FY30.
• VANPOOL: Add 1 new vanpool annually between FY18 and FY30.
• BIKING: Achieve Silver Bicycle Friendly University status from the League of American Bicyclists by FY20 (ACHIVED) and Gold in FY25.
• SHUTTLES: Reduce Pitt Shuttle fuel usage 3% annually between FY18 and FY30.
• FLEET: Employ Pittsburgh 2030 District goal of 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for direct transportation by 2030 (below 2017 baseline).

Updates on 2018-22 progress on these goals is online here - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/progress-report/transportation-mobility-2018-22/

Further description of some mode-specific programs and initiatives at Pitt that encourage sustainable transportation modes are below:

BIKING

The University of Pittsburgh is one of 221 universities affiliated with The League of American Bicyclists, currently holding the League's Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University Designation (BFU) for our work in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus. We are committed to improving upon our current BFU status and aim to achieve Gold BFU status in 2025 by:
1) Regularly convening the University's Active Mobility Committee.
2) Developing an Active Mobility Plan for campus.
3) Expanding end-of-trip amenities for bikers across campus.
4) Growing our partnership with POGOH to provide students, faculty, and staff on the Pittsburgh campus with free access to this local, nonprofit bike share program.
5) Hosting regularly scheduled bike education classes.

There are currently 1,504 bike parking spaces on campus; 1,250 active bicycle registrations through BikeIndex; and 14 POGOH bike share stations in Oakland (the Pittsburgh neighborhood where Pitt is located, 5 of which are the busiest stations in the entire POGOH network).

More about Pitt’s growing biking resources & amenities - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/commuting/biking

POGOH BIKE SHARE

Students and employees at the University’s Pittsburgh campus enjoy free, unlimited 30-minute rides on POGOH, Pittsburgh’s local, nonprofit bike share system (formerly known as Healthy Ride). Pitt piloted this partnership with first year students in the 2019-20 academic year – and offered it University-wide for the first time in 2020-21. Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, in Fall 2020 alone, Pitt students and employees took over 7,000 POGOH bike share trips, including for commuting to and from campus!

POGOH currently has more than 60 stations, 200 pedal bikes, and 300 e-assist bikes across their growing network in Pittsburgh. The unique Pitt POGOH partnership has led to a significant increase in bike share ridership by the Pitt community. In FY23, the Pitt community took 48,000 rides. In the first four months of FY24 (July – November 2023), the Pitt community took more than 71,000 rides – a significant year-over-year increase in bike rides. More than 3/4 of rides are on electric bikes and five of the busiest POGOH stations in the network are on or near the University’s campus. Pitt riders make up more than half of POGOH’s rides. The 2022 Pitt Commuter Survey revealed that nearly 2% of commutes to and from campus are on POGOH and 11% of POGOH rides displaced a motor vehicle trip.

More about Pitt’s POGOH partnership and offering - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/mobility/pogoh

UNIVERSITY SHUTTLES

The University of Pittsburgh runs its own fleet of shuttles that serve nearly 400,000 riders annually across 10 routes and schedules.

Starting in July 2020, Pitt partnered with its shuttle provider to shift to propane-powered shuttle buses, which help reduce carbon and improve local air quality. The University currently has 19 propane-powered shuttles. Along with new amenities like passenger-counting technology and WiFi, the shuttles contribute to a 33% reduction in carbon emissions from Pitt’s shuttle operations (previously a mix of gasoline and 5% biodiesel vehicles). The University intends to fully electrify its fleet vehicles over time, including achieving a 50% reduction in GHG emissions from fleet vehicles by 2030, while raising awareness among the Pitt community about the global shift to low carbon vehicles.

More about Pitt’s shuttle services - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/mobility

More about Pitt’s propane shuttles - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/shuttle-propane-switch/

PUBLIC TRANSIT

The University provides all students and employees fare free access to the regional public transit system (Pittsburgh Regional Transit). Students and employees are able to automatically use their valid University IDs to ride all local buses, light rail, and inclines in the Pittsburgh Regional Transit system to get to, from, and around campus – as well as to get anywhere in the Pittsburgh region served by the Pittsburgh Regional Transit system (which operates a fleet of 700 buses; 80 light rail vehicles; and 4 funicular cars 365 days a year; servicing more than 7,000 stops throughout Allegheny County (the county Pittsburgh is located within)).

As a result, Pitt students and employees take hundreds of thousands of trips on public transit monthly. As seen in the University’s 2022 Commuter Survey results, more than 25% of students and employees use the local Pittsburgh Regional Transit public transit system to commute to the Oakland campus.

>> Pittsburgh Regional Transit system: https://www.rideprt.org/

>> 2022 Pitt Commuter Survey results - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/university-pittsburgh-2022-commuter-survey

CARPOOL & VANPOOL

Pitt provides carpool and vanpool coordination in partnership with CommuteInfo (a regional ridesharing initiative for the surrounding 10 counties & program of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission). Currently, 15 Pitt employees travel to and from campus using 2 vanpools and enjoy subsidized parking in a central location on campus. Over 112 registered carpools of 2 or more commuters each receive preferred parking spots in Pitt-owned parking garages and lots.

In addition to the free ride-matching services, benefits for carpool and vanpool participants include a complimentary roadside safety kit, access to the emergency ride home reimbursement service, and assistance in recruiting new carpool or vanpool members by CommuteInfo. Carpools and vanpools receive several benefits from the University as well. Carpools registered with the University receive a $5 per month discount on their parking permit cost per carpooler (excluding the driver) and the option to alternate between the permit holder’s vehicle and rider’s vehicle. All vanpool and carpool participants receive 2 complimentary parking permits per semester in the case members need to drive to campus separately.

>> Pitt vanpools and carpools - https://www.pts.pitt.edu/mobility/car-vanpools

2018-22 Progress Report on Pitt Sustainability Plan, Transportation & Mobility Section - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/progress-report/transportation-mobility-2018-22/

Transportation & Mobility section of Pitt Sustainability website - https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/campus-culture/mobility-transportation/