There are a number of ways to commute to Penn State. Walking and cycling are quite popular for those who live close enough to Walker. If your housing is outside of walking distance from campus, you have the option to buy a campus parking pass or a regional bus pass from the Transportation Office.

walking

Many students choose housing that is within walking distance of campus. The streets around Penn State are well lit and have well-marked sidewalks and crosswalks. For days with adverse weather, you can opt to take a CATABUS. Fares are $2.20 per ride and can paid for using cash (exact change), the Token Transit app, or by buying a roll of bus tokens to use over time. Near campus, the CATABUS campus service routes (Blue Loop, White Loop, Red Link, and Green Link) are always free to use. Penn State also runs its own free Campus Shuttle routes. Both CATA and the Campus Shuttle have apps to track their live locations.

cycling

Penn State has been recognized as a bicycle friendly campus and has its own biking resources website. There are bike trails and bike lanes throughout State College, leading to most of the nearby neighborhoods. Throughout campus, there are bike racks (some even sheltered) and bicycle repair stations.

Centre County requires all bicycles to have a permit. This sticker is free and helps with theft recovery and town/campus ordinances. You can register for a permit online through Penn State.

If you do not have your own bicycle, the Spin E-Bike Share Program is available across campus through their app. There is a $1 fee to unlock and then a charge of 25 cents per minute, with memberships and income-based discounts available.

Bus Pass (“Ridepass”)

For graduate students who live more than 0.75 miles from a Blue Loop or Red Link stop (mapping tool here), you can purchase a “RIDEpass” for $21 per month (must pay the full year up front). This pass allows you to take any bus in the CATABUS network for the whole year. To help decide if the pass is right for your, check the routes and schedules on the CATABUS website. Note that schedules change for weekends and semester breaks, with some routes fully suspending services over the summer. Note that you cannot get the RIDEpass if your housing already has a bus pass deal with CATA.

Parking on campus

Student parking registration generally opens up the week of orientation (i.e., the week before classes start). Unfortunately, that means you will have to pay to park on campus your first few days if you choose to drive. During this time, you can park at one of the parking decks on campus or use a pay station to park at one of the commuter lots near Beaver Stadium (cheaper). It is generally cheaper to take the bus for those few days if possible.

Off-campus student commuter parking is located in three lots around Beaver Stadium (black lots on the map below and at this link). Passes are $45 a semester or $90 per school year (does not include summer, see below), an average of $10/month. After 4pm and all weekend, you can also park in the yellow lots on the map. Though this parking is about 1.5 miles from Walker, four free bus routes (Blue Loop, White Loop, Red Link, Green Link) and the campus shuttle service the bus stops at or near these lots every 5-10 minutes. Registration is online on the Transportation Services website. Parking is also available over the summer in the same lots and time restrictions as above. $33 covers the summer, averaging around $11 per month. With the school year parking included, this totals $123 a year or $10.25 per month to park on campus.

Long-term storage lots are also available on the edge of campus if your housing did not include a parking spot. These lots are located on the Blue Loop, so retrieving your car is simple. The cost is $406 per school year and $180 over the summer.