Graduate students can purchase campus parking permits from the Parking Office and also get a Upass from the Graduate School to ride CTA trains and buses for free. Note, the Purple Line Express train is a great way to get from Chicago to the Evanston campus. The Intercampus shuttle is also free and only makes one stop between Evanston and Chicago, near Loyola, generally making it the fastest way to travel between the two campuses.
| Parking on NU Chicago & Evanston campuses | |
| Safe Rides | Safe Ride is a service provided to members of the Northwestern community as a safe and free alternative to walking alone after dark. Safe Ride operates from 7:00 pm to 3:00 am seven days a week during the academic year when classes are in session; excluding summer session. Safe Ride drivers provide rides from campus to destinations off campus within our Evanston boundaries and back to campus. |
| NU Shuttle Information | Northwestern University operates several shuttles for students, faculty and staff on the Evanston and Chicago campuses. For more information, view the Shuttle Overview (pdf). |
| Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) |
The CTA operates the nation’s second largest public transportation system and covers the City of Chicago and 35 surrounding suburbs. On an average weekday, approximately 1.64 million rides are taken on the CTA. See Service Overview for more about what transit services we provide, or Facts at a Glance for more facts and statistics. The CTA operates buses and elevated (‘L’) trains. The Purple Line train runs through Evanston until 2 am, and offers select Express service to the Loop downtown during weekday rush hours: 
During non-Express hours, downtown can be accessed by transferring from the Purple Line to the Red Line (24 hour service) at Howard. The CTA also offers a bus service, Route 201, through downtown Evanston, along the Northwestern campus, and out to the Old Orchard shopping center. |
| Pace Bus | Pace Suburban Bus is the premier suburban transit provider, safely and efficiently moving people to work, school, and other regional destinations. Pace’s family of public transportation services offer affordable and environmentally responsible transit options for the residents of 284 municipalities in Cook, Will, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties. |