Other Transportation

a saferide vehicleSafeRide is only one component of the transportation system at Northwestern and the surrounding areas - here are some other options.

University Shuttles

Northwestern operates a variety of shuttles providing service to the Evanston campus. All of these shuttles are free, just show the driver your WildCARD when you get on. Please refer to the Evanston Shuttle maps for more information.

Public Transit

cta in evanston

CTA

The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) operates trains (the "L") and busses throughout Chicago and the surrounding areas. Below are some common options, or check out the CTA's Trip Planner for other suggestions.

  • Purple Line: Gets you around Evanston and into Chicago. Transfer to the Red Line at Howard, or weekdays during rush hour take the express all the way downtown. Purple Line runs north from Howard 4:30 am to 1:00 am weekdays, with service extended until 1:48 am Friday and Saturday nights. The last southbound train from Linden leaves at 1:20 am weekdays and 2:08 am Friday and Saturday nights.
  • Red Line: For service to and from Chicago transfer at Howard to the Red Line. The Red Line runs 24/7 with the longest wait between scheduled trains only 15 minutes. If you are traveling back to campus after the Purple Line has stopped operating you can transfer to the CTA 201N Central/Ridge bus at the Granville or Howard stations.
  • 201N Central/Ridge Bus: A CTA bus that operates late at night when the Purple Line is no longer running. The 201N generally follows the Purple Line route, starting from the Granville Red Line station and making a stop at the Howard station before traveling north on Chicago Ave, cutting west to Sherman at Greenwood, proceeding north on Sherman until turning left on Foster, and traveling north on Ridge to Central.

Pace Buses

Pace is the Chicago area suburban bus service providing bus coverage to Evanston, Chicago, and the rest of Chicago's six county metropolitan area. Going to O'Hare? Take the Route 250 Dempster St. Bus with service from the Davis St. Purple Line station to O'Hare.

Metra

Metra is the Chicago area's commuter rail service. Metra provides service on 11 train lines to 228 stations in 6 counties in northeastern Illinois. There are three Metra stations in Evanston, Main St., Davis St. and Central St. all of which are on the Union Pacific North Line with service from Chicago to Kenosha. The Metra can take you to the concerts at Ravinia, or into downtown Chicago in only 25 minutes.

Taxi Cabs

Several Taxi companies provide service in Evanston, some of the more popular with Northwestern students are:

  • American Taxi: 847-673-1000
  • Best Taxi: 847-864-2500
  • Northshore Cab: 847-864-7500
  • 303 Taxi: 847-256-0303

Medical Transport

Any student requiring emergency medical transport for a serious medical condition should be transported by ambulance. For serious or urgent situations that do not require an ambulance Northwestern has an agreement with Best Taxi, 847-864-2500. As long as you display your Wildcard the ride will be paid for by University Health Services. It is not appropriate to take the Northwestern Shuttle system or SafeRide in serious or urgent medical situations.