Commuting to Campus

While UIC has many parking lots and is bordered by two major highways, it is also one of the best transit-served universities in the nation. As part of the City of Chicago, UIC is also connected to an internationally-recognized system of bike lanes.

Before you choose to travel to campus in a single-occupany automobile, consider these options, and plan your route using a service like Google Maps, which allows you to compare routes and times by transportation mode.

Take Public Transit

All full-time UIC students recieve a U-Pass granting unlimited access to Chicago Transit Authority services during the semester. Students are assessed a one-time, per-semester fee, so why not take advantage of it?

Staff and Faculty at UIC are eligible for the Transit Benefit Program, which allows individuals to pay for transit services using pre-tax dollars. The benefit can be applied to the CTA, Metra, or Pace transit systems.

UIC currently runs free intracampus and commuter shuttles to connect both sides of campus to the Metra and Amtrak stations in the West Loop of Chicago.

Ride a Bike

Bicycles are the most efficient means of transportation on the planet, providing some of the best cost-savings and health benefits for commuters. UIC currently has over 800 outdoor rack spaces to park bicycles, as well as racks and rooms to park bikes in certain buildings. Bike commuters gain free temporary access to both campus recreation facilities to use the showers and locker rooms - just show your bike helmet at the entrance.

Bike theft is a reality on many college campuses, especially those in large urban areas like Chicago. As a safety precaution, be sure to register your bicycle with UIC Police. If your bike is stolen, and then recovered later, this will help you get it back.

Car-Share

Car-sharing is an excellent complement to someone who solely uses public transit or bicycles, but may need to use a larger vehicle from time to time. This is a membership system in which users set up on-demand short-term car rentals based on a set rate. That rate includes all transportation costs like fuel, insurance and overnight parking fees.

UIC students, staff and faculty can become Zipcar members at a special discounted rate, and take advantage of Zipcar vehicles parked on the campus. Zipcars are available throughout Chicago and in many other cities.

I-GO Car Sharing is a non-profit car-sharing service based in Chicago. The UIC community is also eligible for a discount, and many I-GO vehicles are on or near the UIC campus.

Carpool (Ride-Share)

If you already own a car and have purchased a parking pass on campus, consider finding a fellow student or colleague to share your commute. For the driver, this can save a lot of annual costs on fuel or parking. For the passenger, this is another way to get to campus (along with Public Transit or Bicycling), and might be the only option, depending on where you live.

To facilitate safer carpooling within the community, UIC has partnered with a ride-matching service, iCarpool, to allow anyone with a uic.edu address to either find or offer a ride to and from campus.

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