Transportation

At Swarthmore, we recognize that transportation is a key contributor to our campus carbon footprint, and we think critically about how we can reduce our impact and promote walking, biking, and the use of public transportation. Read more about our programs and opportunities below. 
 

Data Collection

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. 

Commuting Benefit Program

Swarthmore participates in a Commuter Benefit Program, which allows employees to have pre-tax dollars deducted from their paycheck to purchase public transportation vouchers. Information is available from Human Resources. The Payflex enrollment form is available in the Human Resources office at 101 South Chester Rd. and on the HR web site.

Shuttle Services

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. 

Public Transportation

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. 

Bikes on Campus

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. 

Driving on Campus

Please be aware that as of summer 2021, the College’s ZipCar program is temporarily paused, due to the impact of the recent vehicle and microchip shortage on ZipCar’s vehicle supply. We expect the program to reopen in late spring of 2022.  
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​​​​​​Swarthmore College partners with ZipCar to provide car sharing as a convenient transportation alternative to bringing a car to campus. The ZipCars are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for students, faculty, and staff ages 18 and older, as well as members of the local community ages 21 and over. ZipCars are housed in the Benjamin West parking lot.  Please contact Anthony Coschignano, AVP of Auxiliary Services, with any questions.

The College maintains two electric vehicle charging stations behind the Title IX and Auxiliary Services houses on Fieldhouse Lane. The College has plans to install more EV stations in the coming months.

For more information about getting around the greater Philadelphia area, please refer to our Getting Around page.