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Transportation
Parking and Transportation Services
Information on busing, parking, biking, walking, and Zipcar at the University of Minnesota.
Biking—Bike parking, bike theft prevention, rules of the road, local bike paths, and more.
Busing—Campus shuttle, bikes on buses, U-Pass, Metro buses, and more.
Walking—Local walking paths, Minnesota walking clubs and programs, and more.
Parking—Public parking, meter parking, student contract parking, carpooling, disability parking, parking rates, and more.
Campus maps and directions—Maps featuring various types of parking and bus routes, and directions to the University.
Campus safety—Safety tips, escort service, University Police.
Car sharing—University of Minnesota students who are 18 or older can join the Zipcar car-sharing program for $35 a year. Members can reserve a car from one of the self-service Zipcar locations on campus (inside Washington Avenue Ramp, near Frontier Hall, by Sanford Hall, at Printing Services Building, and in the 21st Avenue Ramp). Members pay for the time they use the car. At the U of M, members can choose from a variety of cars like the Toyota Matrix, Toyota Prius, of Ford Focus. Members also have access to Zipcars located across the country.
Ridesharing—Zimride is the U’s free and private rideshare online community. If your student has a car, they can find classmates to help them split costs and keep them company. If your student doesn’t have a car, they can find rides where they need to go.
Metro Busing
Transportation throughout the Twin Cities is available through Metro Transit routes. Students can ride any bus, any time with the U-Pass, available for $97 per semester.
Shuttle Bus to Airport
Students bound for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport can use the SuperShuttle service. The trip to the airport takes about an hour and is usually scheduled at 45 minutes after the hour. Students must make a reservation between 2 and 24 hours in advance. Call 612-827-7777 or check the SuperShuttle website.
Light Rail to Airport
Students can catch the Metro Transit Hiawatha Line (light rail) to the airport from the Downtown East/Metrodome or Cedar/Riverside Stations. For more information, see Airport Transit Service.
Commuter Resources
Information to help parents of commuters support their students.
Students in the Commuter Connection student group produced a message for parents (362 K PDF) to help them better understand what their commuter student is going through and to provide some tips for supporting their student.
Metro commuter services (Rideshare) matches drivers and riders according to home address and approximate commuting time.
Campus dining for commuter students.
Commuter Connection—Plans and participates in programing designed to make first-year commuting students feel more a part of the University Community.
Metropolitan Transit—Bus schedules, route maps, and more.
Transportation for Out-of-town Students
For out-of-town students some transportation alternatives include MegaBus, which offers routes to Chicago and Milwaukee. Amtrak, Greyhound, and Jefferson Lines have routes to many destinations.