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Charter Services

Transportation Services partners with pre-screened bus vendors for special trips or large group transportation. University departments, schools, and student groups can book with a vendor that offers competitive pricing and outstanding customer service. We check the safety records of all vendors and ensure they maintain current insurance and compliance with industry safety standards.

Services

Service can be for a special event, guest speakers, class trip, office outing, airport transfers, and routine or ongoing needs. Distance is not an issue as vendors provide service for many groups going out of state, some who stay overnight.

Vendors offer a variety of size and types of vehicles. Anything from a sedan/SUV to 56-passenger luxury coach buses. We can help you get the right size vehicle for your trip to help keep the cost down.

Our vendors are familiar with both the Chicago and the Evanston campuses making pick-up locations easy.


Rates and Billing

Rates include mileage, a uniformed driver, reliable pick-up and delivery, and a clean, comfortable vehicle. If applicable, tolls and parking fees are included as well. Estimates vary based on type of vehicle, distance, and time of use so it is difficult to provide estimates without knowing your specific needs. If you are in the planning stages, reach out to us and we can help you navigate through questions and have a quote provided.

We take care of the billing, there is nothing you need to do. After your trip, we will pay the vendor and recharge the provided chartstring for the final cost. Note that there is a fee added to the invoiced amount that will be included on the final chargeback to the chartstring.

Make a Reservation

Requests for Town car / SUV, Mini-coach bus, and Full-size coach bus will be booked directly between the requester and the vendor. When you fill out the form and the request is for one of these vehicles it will be sent directly to the vendors to provide you a quote. Once they review the information they will send a quote for your trip. When you’re ready to book the bus you will do so with the vendor of your choosing. After the trip, the vendor will invoice Transportation Services which will pay the invoice and recharge the chartstring provided on the form. Note that there is a $30 fee added to the invoiced amount that will be included on the final chargeback to the chartstring.

For the time being, requests for school buses will continue to be booked through Transportation Services. You will fill out the same form below.

To request a quote, simply fill out the Charter Quote Form. Requests must be submitted at least one week prior to the date of the event.

Provide Feedback

Want to provide feedback for charter services? Please complete our Charter Services Feedback Form.

Bus Parking and Idling

Northwestern bus service providers may park along the west curb of Ashland Ave at Ryan Field. Evanston’s parking enforcement will not enforce the “no parking” for Northwestern contracted buses. Buses are not permitted to stage or park in the lot itself.

Evanston does have an anti-idling ordinance for when vehicles are not in service. It is expected that all contracted buses obey the ordinance.

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