The Office of Sustainability surveys the campus community annually regarding work-related transportation and related greenhouse gas emissions. This data helps the College understand commuting behavior among staff and faculty and develop policies programs to reduce carbon emissions associated with travel to and from campus. Greenhouse gas emissions from commuting and directly financed travel are components of the College's greenhouse gas inventory, which is updated every year and publicly available through Second Nature's reporting platform.

The college operates shuttles to help community members get to nearby colleges, Philadelphia, the airport, and local shopping destinations. Some shuttle routes, such as the Garnet Shuttle, can be found on the Transloc Rider app.

The college is well served by the area's transit authority -- SEPTA -- which runs buses, subway, and light rail throughout the greater Philadelphia region. For more information about all forms of public transportation in Swarthmore and the Philadelphia region, please see the College's Mass Transit page.

For an up-to-date SEPTA Media/Elwyn train schedule, please refer to the Media/Elwyn PDF schedule on SEPTA's website.

An employee survey conducted in 2023 indicated that about 18% of College faculty and staff members use public transit (regional rail, subway, bus, etc.) for commuting to campus. Following the launch of free SEPTA passes for students in Fall 2023, the College developed a similar pilot  program for faculty and staff to support increased use of public transportation. More information about eligibility and how to enroll in the Faculty and Staff SEPTA program can be found here.

Swarthmore participates in a Commuter Benefit Program, which allows employees to have pre-tax dollars deducted from their paycheck to purchase public transportation vouchers. More information is available from Human Resources.

Electric Vehicle Stations. The College maintains eight electric vehicle charging stations (2 ports each) across campus. Learn more about the charging station locations and the College's Electric Vehicle Charging Station Policy here.
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Bike Storage: Bike racks are provided throughout the campus, making bike commuting and inter-campus travel easy. Some bike racks, like those in the PPR Apartments, are fully protected from the weather.

Showers: Students, faculty, and staff have access to showers in the Matchbox facility and in the Lang Performing Arts Center. This is helpful resource for campus members who commute via bike or use bikes on campus.