A yellow streetcar moves through the park blocks

Sustainable Transportation

PSU is home to the busiest transit hub in the state. Not only are alternative transportation modes often the most affordable, choosing them can help minimize problems such as greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and traffic congestion. Alternative transportation modes used by the PSU community include public transit, walking, biking, carpooling, and more.

What we are committed to: supporting affordable shared and alternative commutes and travel

We strive to create policies, plans, and programs that enhance pedestrian and bike safety on campus. By making campus accessible to active commuters, we aim to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips to campus. These principles are expressed in PSU’s Bicycle Transportation Plan, Climate Action Plan, and planned Circulation Study.

On behalf of PSU, Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS) advocates for investments in infrastructure and services that improve pedestrian and bike safety on and around campus.

PSU is also committed to reducing the carbon emissions associated with University travel through the Travel Offset Program, which helps fund energy and water efficiency projects on campus.

What we are doing

Transportation passes

Partially subsidized transit passes are available for the campus community. Information about the TriMet Reduced Fare Program is also available in the Transportation & Parking Services office.

3 people standing with a bike and bike tires

PSU Bike Hub

The PSU Bike Hub offers no cost membership to the campus community, providing bicycle service, classes, and merchandise at a discount.

Bike Parking

Bike parking is plentiful across campus. In addition, secure, covered bike parking is available at 10 locations across campus.

Bike with storage container labeled mail services

Mail delivery bike

Mail Services delivery bikes provide a safe, quiet, pollution-free service on campus. This innovation has allowed the department to move away from relying on gas and electric powered vehicles.

Bike share

PSU has partnered with the City of Portland's bike share program, BIKETOWN, to offer students no-cost and employees $7/month memberships.

Bike rental

VikeBikes program offers low cost rental of refurbished bikes by the academic term. Departments can access a fleet of bicycles to make short trips on and around campus as well.

people crossing in front of the max train on southwest 5th avenue

Bike & pedestrian safety

The Broadway Cycle Track on SW Broadway between SW Clay and SW Jackson streets provides a separated bike lane. Students are often engaged through the Living Lab program and class projects to evaluate opportunities to improve bike/ped safety.

cars parked next to sign that says zipper

Zipcar access

PSU faculty and staff can join Zipcar for free, including lower rates for weekday driving, and use one of 20 Zipcars on campus. Students can join Zipcar for a reduced rate.

Walk & bike events

PSU hosts health and bike promotion events in October and May each year. Walktober and the PSU Bike Challenge are great ways to try out new active transportation modes.

How we are doing

Annual transportation survey

Transportation & Parking Services conducts an online transportation survey each fall quarter to understand commute modes and patterns across the PSU community. From the survey, we know that sustainable transportation modes account for more than 70% of all student and employee trips to campus, with 46% of trips by transit and 24% with walking and biking combined.

The transportation survey is a critical tool for understanding challenges and opportunities students, faculty, and staff experience when determining how to commute to and from campus. We urge everyone who receives the survey to complete it.

Awards

PSU has been named a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists.

In 2015 PSU was named one of the top 5 schools in the nation for sustainable transportation by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

Offsetting travel

Departments participating in the PSU Travel Offset Program help fund Green Revolving Fund (GRF) projects. The GRF has funded 15 projects resulting in over $250,000 annual utility savings.

students around table and person writing on white board

Dive into transportation data

Get involved in campus transportation initiatives through the Living Lab program! Whether it's for a class assignment or an independent research project, there are many opportunities to advance student learning while helping PSU better analyze transportation data, promote active transportation, and more.

Explore the Living Lab program

Transportation resources

max train and portland streetcar stopped at sw 5th avenue

Transit passes for students and employees

several orange bicycles parked uniformly

Resources for biking to campus