SafeRider

Pitt Shuttle at night.

Updated 4.3.2023

SafeRider provides complimentary transportation from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. when special non-emergency needs arise for Pitt students, faculty, and staff. 

SafeRider is not available to UPMC employees.

You can request SafeRider from your phone with the TransLoc app or call
412-648-CALL (2255) for your safe ride.

Using SafeRider

Call SafeRider for travel after 9 p.m.:

  • Within the SafeRider travel boundaries
  • Between campus buildings, from local residences to campus buildings, and from campus to local residences
  • When you're not along an established bus or shuttle route, or
  • From Pittsburgh's Greyhound, Amtrack and MegaBus stations: 
  1. On Sundays
  2. On days the University shuttle system operates on a Holiday Schedule
  3. The day before classes resume after a break or recess
  4. The first day classes resume after a break or recess

Each rider is permitted (1) round trip per evening, and a maximum of (25) trips per semester.

Note: If your origin and destination are on a campus shuttle or Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus route, you must use these services. SafeRider is a supplement to those transportation options. If your origin is not on a regular shuttle or bus route but your destination is, SafeRider will take you to the Transportation Center at the Cathedral of Learning. You can continue to your destination from there.

SafeRider is NOT for:

  • Travel on an established bus or shuttle route
  • Meal runs or shopping trips
  • Pick-up from establishments that serve alcoholic beverages
  • Travel to or from the South Side Sports Complex and the McGowan Center on the South Side
  • Emergency calls. Contact the University of Pittsburgh Police Department by calling 412-624-2121 for emergencies

SafeRider Transfer Location

All transfers occur at the Transportation Center at the Cathedral of Learning shelter.

SafeRider Hours

Fall / Spring Hours
Sunday-Saturday: 9 p.m. - 3 a.m.

Summer Hours
Monday-Friday: 9 p.m. - 3 a.m.

No service is provided during Thanksgiving Break, Winter Recess, and Spring Break.

Requesting a Ride

  1. Request SafeRider quickly and easily from your phone with the TransLoc app.
  2. During SafeRider's operating hours, call 412-648-2255 or 8-2255 from a campus phone to request a ride.
    • Be prepared to provide the following information to the dispatcher:
      • Name
      • Pick-up location
      • Destination
      • Number of guests (maximum of two non-University persons)
      • Call-back number

Upon boarding the SafeRider vehicle: Present a valid ID to the driver. The driver will swipe the ID card and hand the card back to you. ALL riders must present a valid ID.

Amount of Use

  • SafeRider has a 25-trip maximum.
  • This helps ensure that all persons who need SafeRider are able to access the service and that our response time is reasonable.
  • SafeRider is for use in special cases on routes where no buses or shuttles are running. It is very unlikely that a person who is using SafeRider in the manner that it is intended will need the service more than 25 times in one semester.

Wait Times

  • The dispatcher will give you an approximate pickup time when you place your call. Wait times can vary.
  • The dispatcher will call you back when SafeRider is approaching the pickup location. It is your responsibility to wait for the dispatcher to call back. If the dispatcher receives no answer, a busy signal, or a voicemail, SafeRider will still be sent to your location.
  • SafeRider will wait a maximum of five minutes. If you fail to arrive, SafeRider will proceed to the next pickup location and you will be considered a "no-show."
  • If you call back, you will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list. Combining of pickups is arranged when possible to expedite service response.
  • If you call from the Schenley Quad or Towers, the pickup/drop-off point is Hillman Bus Shelter.
  • SafeRider does not accept reservations. Service is always on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Guests

You may have up to two non-University guests, provided that there is space available and they are going to the same location as you. You are responsible for the conduct of your guests. Guests must also provide a valid ID to the driver.

Valid ID

If you don't have your Panther Card, you must provide another form of photo identification. SafeRider will provide service without a valid ID on a one-time basis, but you will be denied future service until you obtain a valid ID to show the driver.

Note: It is against the Student Code of Conduct to borrow another person's ID. You may be subject to disciplinary action if you falsify information or use an ID that isn't yours.

Canceling

  • If you fail to cancel and are not there when SafeRider arrives to pick you up, you are considered a "no-show." If you are a no-show three times in one semester, you will be placed on probation. A probation letter will be sent to you from the Department of Parking, Transportation and Services informing you that your right to use SafeRider will be denied for the remainder of the semester if one additional violation occurs within 30 days of the date on the letter.
  • A fourth no-show within 30 days of the date on the letter will result in you losing your SafeRider privileges for the remainder of the semester, and may result in a judicial complaint being filed against you.

Students with Disabilities

SafeRider is accessible to passengers with disabilities.

SafeRider Boundaries

SafeRider boundaries are Baum Boulevard on the north, Carnegie Mellon University on the east, the Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering on the south, and Trees Hall/Robinson Street on the west. We also serve Chatham University.

More Questions?

You can review the SafeRider brochure, e-mail us at pittshuttles@pitt.edu, or call us at 412-624-8801 if you have additional questions regarding SafeRider.