We all know about the "Penn Bubble,” and the benefits of bursting it, but there is one lesser-known program that can make it much easier for Penn students to venture off campus and into the city. In recent years, SEPTA has broadened their Key Advantage program to include universities, naming it UPass. Colleges participating in UPass grant their students unlimited, all-access SEPTA Key Cards and pay a discounted price to SEPTA in return. Spreading this great program to Penn has been the focus of my time on SEPTA’s Youth Advisory Council after joining this fall. Imagine not having to worry about paying or calculating the SEPTA fare if you are going to a Phillies game with a group, taking Regional Rail to the airport, or arranging a club field trip on SEPTA. How nice is that?
And no, you should not jump the turnstile either.
Many other universities have beaten Penn to the punch on this. Swarthmore, Villanova, and Bryn Mawr have all joined or tested UPass, while big schools in Pittsburgh — including Pitt and Carnegie Mellon — have had a similar program since 1997. Why can't we? This is nothing revolutionary; we are just catching up.
Some will point to the fact that we have our own university transit system, but it is hardly adequate and could never cover the entirety of Philadelphia like SEPTA does. Penn is not located in a college town!
UPass is a unique opportunity that benefits both the school and our city’s transportation system. With SEPTA nearing 75% post-COVID ridership recovery — while also facing a $240 million budget shortfall — getting Penn on board is an urgent nudge. As one of the city’s largest tax-exempt institutions, Penn has a responsibility to support Philadelphia’s public infrastructure.
Money is a concern, but it is by no means an opaque barrier. Without even mentioning Penn’s $22 billion endowment, there are many ways to fund the highly worthwhile cost — for example, implementing a modest tax on the 5,000 parking spaces that Penn owns across 16 various parking lots and garages. It only makes sense for those driving into a transit-rich campus — and in turn bringing pollution and cumbersome traffic to the area — to help chip into the efforts of those making the greener choice.
In the case of the cost being partially shifted to students in the form of a small transportation fee, how often do you actually see and reap the benefits of a regular tuition increase in your day-to-day? It is time we get something tangible out of our tuition increases, even if the University does not bear the costs of UPass themselves or finds a novel funding mechanism. The value of these passes is much higher than any contribution by a single student. A SEPTA unlimited monthly pass can run you around $200, while UPass would give students nearly a 90% discount. This does not even factor in the value of never having to worry or calculate a transportation expense again.
Rather, the true question is whether or not the school is willing to put its money where its mouth is. We cannot position ourselves as a green, urban, and progressive campus without investing resources into the real, tangible development of these goals.
With Penn aiming to become completely carbon-neutral by 2042, we need to do more on the transportation front. Especially considering that the University's biggest transportation sustainability investment to date is a measly four new electric vans. Imagine how much of an achievement it would be if we got over 10,000 students on public transit? Sure, our facilities can be carbon-neutral all we want, but Penn will not have a truly sustainable campus if we do not at least try to get students out of polluting via Ubers and personal vehicles. Alongside UPass, a Penn that is concerned with getting students out of cars further includes increasing student awareness of SEPTA’s service offerings, destinations, and safety features.
The time to adopt UPass is now, and the push starts here. Sign this petition to tell the University administration that students want the same benefits that our peer institutions provide. As someone who is both a Penn student and on SEPTA’s Youth Advisory Council, I can tell you how mutually beneficial this program is for both parties. UPass is more than just rides: it is making sure Penn is a more sustainable, competitive, and equitable place for us to study and live.
GREYSON FORSTER is a first year studying economics and urban studies from Atlanta. His email is greyson@sas.upenn.edu.
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