Parking and Transportation highlights alternative transportation options

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing the campus community with a variety of flexible alternative transportation and commuting programs.

“Whether you are looking to save money by not having a car on campus, desire a less stressful commute, or just want to embrace a healthier lifestyle, there are many options worth exploring,” said Dedric Carter, vice chancellor for operations and technology transfer.

Metro Transit, U-Pass program

Washington University works in partnership with Metro Transit to offer the Metro Transit U-Pass program, which allows full-time students, benefits-eligible faculty and staff and eligible basic services contractors (employees of Allied Universal, Aramark, Bon Appetit, Catering St. Louis, Focal Pointe, Follett, Huntleigh and WFF) to receive a U-Pass at no charge. When used in conjunction with a valid university ID, participants are able to ride for free on any Metro bus or MetroLink train.

Recently, Metro temporarily added five buses to the Green Line route during peak morning hours to alleviate overcrowding for the duration of the Forest Park Parkway bridge construction. The No. 2 Red Line Metro bus and No. 16 Metro bus are also options for those who live near the Delmar and Skinker intersection.

Biking

Biking to campus is another option. There are dedicated bike paths on and around the Danforth Campus, and bikes are permitted on both Metro buses and MetroLink trains. The Washington University Police Department also offers significantly discounted Kryptonite U-locks as well as free bike registration.

In addition, the university has contracted with Lime, a bike-sharing system that provides participants with a fleet of bicycles available for rental on a short-term basis. The system is dockless, which means bikes can be located with GPS and rented on the Lime smartphone app or by calling a phone number. To end a rental session, riders lock the bike by pushing down on the locking arm connected to the rear wheel. To learn more, visit the Lime FAQ page.

Students, faculty and staff who register for Lime with a university email address get 50 percent off Lime bike rentals. All bikes must be parked at a bike rack when not in use and bikers are required to follow all traffic laws and yield to pedestrians. The university has only engaged Lime for bikes at this time. 

Shuttles

Washington University also offers multiple convenient shuttle options.

  • The Campus Circulator, which is a complimentary shuttle for faculty, students, staff and guests that circulates the Danforth Campus.
  • The West Campus Shuttle service, which was implemented last year to provide service between the West Campus parking lot and two locations along Forsyth on the Danforth Campus. Passengers must show a university ID to ride.
  • The Campus2Home shuttle is also an option for students, faculty and staff desiring a safe ride home from the Danforth Campus between 6 p.m. and 4 a.m. The shuttle departs from the bus stop at Hoyt and Forsyth and also from the Mallinckrodt Center bus plaza on the Danforth Campus and drops passengers at off-campus residences in four designated areas – Skinker-DeBaliviere, the Loop South, north of the Loop and just south of campus. Passengers must show a university ID to ride.

All of the shuttle routes, as well as the Metro Green Line, can be tracked in real time via the WashU mobile app, which is available for download from the IOS App Store  and Google Play Store.

Guaranteed Ride Home

Guaranteed Ride Home, offered by Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT), provides up to four one-way rides home from work per year in the case of an emergency for those who use alternative transportation to commute to campus. To learn more and apply, visit CMT’s Guaranteed Ride Home page.

Car sharing

In addition, the university offers the Enterprise CarShare program, which allows members to rent vehicles by the hour from designated spaces across campus at any time. 

Noonlight

Last year, the university partnered with SafeTrek, which is now Noonlight, a personal safety app that functions like an emergency blue light phone to help provide peace of mind in potentially unsafe locations. The service is available for free to students, faculty, staff and basic services contractors.

In addition, the Washington University Police Department provides walking escorts to and from any location on campus between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Visit WUPD’s Crime Prevention & Safety page for safety tips and additional resources.

East end parking facility

The parking facility on the east end of the Danforth Campus will be available in summer 2019. Over the next several months, construction will continue, including safety egress and site pathways as well as installation and testing of operational systems.

Visit the Transportation Options section of the parking website to learn more about the university’s alternative transportation options or contact Parking & Transportation at 314-935-5601 or ParkTrans@wustl.edu.