On a campus large enough to comfortably house almost 40,000 undergraduate students, reliable transportation is an obvious imperative. Walking to class is always an active, sufficient option. Though the size of the University’s campus may alone seem daunting, it will become easy to navigate within the first week.

To aid in navigation— and to grant oneself access to the tremendous activities and amenities that the University and Champaign-Urbana has to offer its students— it is important to know all of the various forms of transportation available, especially at times when a leisurely stroll across campus just doesn’t seem like the most viable option.

Owning a bicycle on campus is quite popular, and the advantages seem self-evident when considering the fact that travel time on a bike is about three times faster than choosing the ambulant route. Bike racks are located outside all residence halls, as well as near the campus libraries, recreation centers, and can be found interspersed around the Quad, along with many other areas.

There are also bike paths on campus that provide safe routes for cyclists, separating them from both pedestrians and motorized vehicles.

Maps of these bike paths, which extend out into the greater Champaign-Urbana area, are available for free at many places around town, including the League of Illinois Bicyclists’ kiosk at the Urbana Farmer’s Market, and can also be found online at ChampaignCountyBikes.org. The bike map includes important safety information for cyclists and highlights which roads are more congested and not recommended for inexperienced riders.

There are two bike shops located within a fair distance from the Quad: Durst Cycle & Fitness and Bikeworks, on University and Main Streets respectively. Durst has a second location on Mattis Avenue, and Champaign Cycle Co. can be found just a bit farther west.

Overall, there are six locations in CU where bicycles can be purchased and serviced.

Getting a bike fixed is nice, but the DIY route is less expensive. Luckily, handy men and women can find most of the parts and tools necessary to fix their bicycles right on Green Street at Ron’s Campus Locksmith Shop (502 E. Green St.).

If biking appears to be a preferable mode of transportation, be sure to buy a bike lock and lock up bicycles whenever they are not in use.

The added benefit of biking on campus is that a busy student can get a low-impact workout on the go. Whether unforeseen circumstances threaten to make a student late for an exam or he or she simply doesn’t have any time to waste, storing a bicycle near their place of residence is the perfect solution …

Except when inclement weather shows up on the radar.

The MTD (Mass Transit District) of Champaign-Urbana provides buses with campus-only routes as well as routes to off-campus locations. The MTD even recently rerouted certain campus buses to render them more efficient. The best part of the MTD’s bus service is that all buses are free to students who display a valid I-Card upon entry.

In order to remain prompt when the occasion requires, students should check the bus schedules and route information, noting that they are liable to change on weekends and in the evening hours. Go to MTD’s website (http://www.cumtd.com) or pick up a schedule on any MTD bus route to be sure.

In addition, the MTD offers SafeRides, which typically operate from dusk until dawn and will pick a student up if he or she feels unsafe walking home or even to the nearest bus stop (again, free of charge with a valid I-Card). The phone number for SafeRides is also located on the MTD website listed above.

Although the MTD bus system is safe and reliable and biking is both fast and fitness-conscious, these two popular options for campus transportation have alternatives. Some students have cars that can be parked in University lots for a fee paid each semester.

Others own a pair of roller blades or a motorized scooter, and the presence of longboards seems increasingly popular. No matter what, there is a (frequently free) method of transportation to help students journey across campus and beyond.