Transportation and Parking
Maps and Directions
- Directions: Information with directions to campus by car, bus, or plane
- Campus Maps: Links to campus and downtown maps featuring parking, bus routes, and Wisconsin highways
Students find that the fastest, easiest, and most economical ways to get around Campus are by walking, biking, or riding the bus. Students are not encouraged to bring a car to campus due to limited parking space and high costs. Encourage your student to use one of these methods for getting around campus.
Biking can improve health, save money, offer convenient parking, and save daily commuting time. Thousands of students, staff, and faculty commute by bicycle to UW–Madison. Find information about bike safety, registration, parking, regulations, and routes.
Busing on Campus. Routes 80 and 85 are free for everyone. Included in the cost of tuition is a bus pass through the Associated Students of Madison, allowing students to ride all city buses for free. For route and schedule information visit Madison Metro.
Car Sharing: Community Car is a Madison-based carsharing service that rents high gas-mileage and hybrid-electric vehicles by the hour for individuals and organizations. Beginning in fall 2009, students aged 18 and older are eligible to become members.
Moped safety: Information about how to safely operate a moped on campus and in Madison, as well as details about parking, registration, and licensing, can be found on the Transportation Services website.
SAFE
Services: Safe
Arrival For Everyone (SAFE) Services provide
the university’s comprehensive late-night transportation options. SAFE’s
goal is to promote personal and community safety by offering a safe means
of nighttime transportation and by educating the UW community on matters
of nighttime safety. Options include, SAFEwalk, SAFEride cab, and SAFEride
bus.
PARKING
Student parking on campus is extremely limited. Transportation Services provides an application for parking but encourages students not to bring a vehicle to campus.
Mopeds, Scooters, and Motorcycles require a parking permit to be purchased. There are designated parking areas on campus. Transportation Services provides additional information and an application for a parking permit.
Students living off campus may be eligible to purchase a Residential Parking Permit through the City of Madison, which allows them to park on the city street for up to 48 hours in two-hour parking zones.
The City of Madison has many public parking lots and ramps near campus. Find more information about parking lot locations and rates.
Traveling to and from Madison
There are several local companies that offer bus service from Madison to other major cities.
- Badger Bus picks up at two locations, in front of the Memorial Union and at the Madison Bus Depot. The Badger Bus makes 5 stops before ending its route at the Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee.
www.badgerbus.com - The Better Bus LLC offers students direct service from UW-Madison to the Twin Cities during holidays, special events, and school breaks.
www.betterbus.com - Greyhound Bus Lines services the Twin Cities, including the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport, as well as the Chicago area.
www.greyhound.com - Jefferson Bus Lines offers services from the Memorial Union to the Twin Cities via La Crosse, Winona, and Rochester.
www.jeffersonlines.com - Kobussen Buses services UW-Madison, Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green Bay every weekend when school is in session. Buses leave campus from Engineering Hall several times a day on Thursday/Friday and return to campus on Sunday.
www.kobussen.com/pages/homeRun.html - Mad-Bus transports from Madison to the Twin Cities for holidays, breaks, and special events.
www.mad-bus.com - Mega Bus picks up at the Memorial Union and offers low-cost fares from Madison to Minneapolis. The further in advance you book tickets, the cheaper they are.
www.megabus.com - Van Galder Bus Company picks up at the Memorial Union and makes stops in Janesville, Beloit, Rockford, the Chicago Amtrak Station, Midway Airport, and O’Hare. www.coachusa.com/vangalder
Leaving Madison by air
The Dane County Regional Airport is about 7 miles off of campus and services Delta Connection, Continental Express, Midwest Connect, American Eagle, United Express, and Northwest Airlines. Students can get to the airport via taxi or the city bus.
If flying out of the Dane County Regional Airport is too costly or would involve too many connections, getting to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, Chicago O’Hare Airport, Chicago Midway Airport, or Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport is convenient via bus transportation.