Everything you need to know about getting around campus and Nashville
Vanderbilt students and commuters have plenty of options for getting around campus as well as Nashville, including to Centennial Park, Taste of Nashville restaurants, Hillsboro Village and more. MoveVU, the university’s strategic transportation and mobility plan, can assist you with your daily travel decisions and help reduce your carbon footprint in the process. Check out the following resources to help you get where you need to go.
WALK/BIKE
Walking is the most efficient way to travel around campus and nearby neighborhoods. There are many health and wellness benefits to walking, and we encourage those who can utilize safety features in the VandySafe app. Among the app’s features is the ability to contact Vanderbilt University Police Department with a phone call or real-time chat, trigger a mobile “Bluelight” that shares your location instantly with VUPD, initiate a “Virtual Walkhome” where VUPD can monitor your walk to your vehicle or home, as well as view information on VandyRide and more.
Bicycles are another great way to commute to and from and travel across campus. Biking has personal health and well-being benefits, and the mode is environmentally friendly.
Individuals with personal bicycles are encouraged to register their bikes with Vanderbilt University Public Safety. Bicyclists must follow the circulation patterns on campus; yield to pedestrians to maintain physical distance; walk their bikes in dismount zones noted on campus such as the 21st Avenue pedestrian bridges, Rand wall and Medical Center Plaza; and park responsibly at bike racks. View a map of bike parking (covered and uncovered), bike repair stations and shower facilities on campus.
VANDYRIDE
VUPS administers the on-campus, nighttime shuttle service VandyRide for students. VandyRide shuttles follow one of two routes: Gold Route, which is an express route from the Peabody campus to the main campus, and the Black Route which circulates campus clockwise. These routes run from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. and are open to students on campus.
VandyRide also offers its “Point to Point” service, which allows undergraduate students living within a half-mile of campus to get a free ride home. The free shuttles will not transport students to locations other than their registered off-campus residences, and they will not pick up students and bring them to campus. In addition, Point to Point shuttles will not transport students who live on campus—all passengers must be confirmed as living at an off-campus address before boarding a shuttle. The service is available from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week.
To use the Point to Point service, follow these steps:
- Students should call VUPS Communications at 615-322-2745 to request a ride to an off-campus residence.
- VUPS will verify the student’s name, address and that it is within the Point to Point service area with the Office of the Dean of Students.
- Once confirmed, the student will be instructed to proceed to the nearest VandyRide stop or designated ridehail pickup location and wait for a shuttle. Students may track their assigned shuttle using the VandyRide app.
- Once the shuttle arrives, students must identify themselves by name and address before boarding the shuttle.
Please note that availability of this service may be limited and waits may be longer given the current staffing capacity.
WEGO PUBLIC TRANSIT
Students can take advantage of free bus rides on the WeGo Public Transit routes that run along West End Avenue (#3A and #3B) and 21st Avenue (#7, #25, #87, #89, #93 and #95) and Blakemore Avenue (#77) with their physical Commodore ID Cards. It’s also a way to move around the city that aligns with Vanderbilt’s sustainability value. Riding the bus leads to reduced carbon emissions, air pollution, traffic congestion, and fuel efficiency. Vanderbilt’s program provides all full-time and part-time students, faculty, staff and postdocs with free access to WeGo local buses, regional buses and WeGo Star with their Commodore Card. This service is available for any place and time WeGo runs, including paratransit service, not only when commuting to and from campus.
Ride the bus FREE with your Commodore Card
RIDEHAIL
Ridehail services like Uber and Lyft can be used on campus. The locations are marked with signs and are available to select in the Uber and Lyft mobile apps. The areas include E. Bronson Ingram Circle, Kirkland Esplanade, Sarratt Student Center/Rand Hall, the Engineering and Science Building, McGugin Center, Blakemore House, VRWC Lot 27 across from Morgan Circle, Crawford House and Hank Ingram House. Find all the pick-up and drop-off areas on this map.