Campus Life

Transportation Services to offer temporary alternatives to CATA service changes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As the result of continuing severe staffing shortages, the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) recently announced several service changes that will take effect Monday, Oct. 25. Penn State officials have put in place some short-term options to help ease the inconvenience to its community.

The following temporary changes to campus service from CATA include:

  • All Sunday CATABUS (including Loops and Links) and CATARIDE service will be suspended.
  • Early morning service on the Loops and Links will be suspended. Service will begin at 7 a.m.
  • The Green Link will be suspended.

In response to these changes, Penn State Transportation Services will offer the following temporary service alternatives:

Sunday Blue Loop replacement service via Penn State blue buses

Replacement Blue Loop campus bus service will be offered on Sundays between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., with Penn State blue buses replacing CATA vehicles. Real-time tracking and arrival predictions will not be available, but each Blue Loop stop will be serviced approximately every 15 minutes. The blue buses will have exterior signage to identify them as serving the Blue Loop route.

There will be no Blue Loop replacement service on Sunday, Nov. 21, during fall break, and the last fall semester Sunday service will operate on Sunday, Dec. 5.

Email shuttles@psu.edu or call 814-865-7571 for more information on the Sunday Blue Loop replacement service.

Free late night, early morning and Sunday Spin rides

Beginning Oct. 25, Spin e-bike rentals will be available to all riders with no unlock or rental fees every night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and all day on Sundays until further notice, courtesy of Transportation Services. Riders must first sign up for a Spin account through the Spin app, and helmet use is strongly encouraged.

Green Link users encouraged to use Red Link and Campus Shuttle

Riders who normally use the Green Link are encouraged to use CATA’s Red Link or the Campus Shuttle via Beaver Avenue. The Red Link serves all Green Link stops, except for those on Burrowes Road near Rec Hall and Westgate and on Atherton Street across from the Bus Terminal, which are served by the Campus Shuttle via Beaver Avenue and Blue Loop, respectively.

For those who park at the Commuter lots, the closest Campus Shuttle via Beaver Avenue stop is located along Curtin Road near the IM Building, just one block west of the Stadium West CATA stop. Download the Penn State Go app for real-time bus and shuttle locations and arrival predictions.

Reminders on parking permit access and availability

Faculty, staff and students are reminded that University Park parking permits provide access to many additional campus parking areas during evening and weekend hours. Faculty/staff permits are valid at all faculty/staff parking areas on weekdays from 4 p.m. through 7:30 a.m. the following day and all day on Saturdays and Sundays, and student permits are valid at all faculty/staff parking areas highlighted in yellow with the E/W symbol on the interactive student parking map, with the following exceptions:

  • No parking at Green H near Hort Woods until 6 p.m. weekdays.
  • No parking at the Commuter lots between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week.
  • No parking east of Bigler Road on home football Saturdays.

Full-time faculty and staff should contact their department parking chair to see which permit options are currently available through their department allocation, while those working part time not enrolled in classes may purchase a permit at the Transportation Services Office at 1 Eisenhower Parking Deck, open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Student parking registration is available online, with prorated rates available.

Email parking@psu.edu or call 814-865-1436 for information on campus parking.

Last Updated October 27, 2021