Do people bike around campus?
How long does it take to get to classes? (very broad, I know)
For engineering students, is it easier to just take the bus?
The answer for how long it takes to get to classes and whether to walk or take the bus will vary wildly depending on the dorm you are coming from.
My son is a freshman engineering student living in Markley Hall (on the hill) and walks to his classes on central campus (10-15 minute walk) but takes the bus to North campus (which also takes 10-15 minutes). Note that Markley is one of the last stops on the way from Central to North campus so there are not too many stops after he gets on.
Personally, I would think biking to North campus would be difficult. Having driven the route a few times, the roads don’t really seem conducive to bike traffic and the route is also quite hilly.
One other thing that really surprised me about transportation is that the two main campus bus routes for going between the Central and North campus (Commuter South and Commuter North) do not run on the weekends.
A couple of buses still run from North campus to Central Campus (Bursley-Baits Route & Northwood Route) so transportation between the campuses isn’t completely stopped, but there are more limited pickup/dropoff locations.
There are also a lot of “Bird” rental electric scooters scattered around that I’ve seen kids getting around campus with as well. If you haven’t heard of or seen Bird scooters, do a google search.
I agree with the poster above, depends on where you’re living. Also, during several of my visits, I noticed that many students, mainly male students, used “Birds” or e-scooters, not bikes. So, that was my perception as well.
I actually asked this same question last year and got quite a wide variety of responses. It was honestly 50/50 - half raved about biking and the other half had no desire to do so. The Birds have become increasingly popular because they are so convenient and there’s no personal upkeep. I also agree with the others that biking to North Campus is not that great of an idea. The only practical way is the bus if you live in the central campus area but have the majority of classes on north.
The other thing to keep in mind is the weather. There is not a lot of “ideal biking weather” during fall & winter semesters once rain, snow, and temperature begin to factor. You may be one who doesn’t mind the elements, but you will want a bike cover when parking in inclement weather between classes or overnight.
Those Bird Scooters have certainly invaded campus. Drives me crazy how they zip through the walking crowds - so be careful if you are walking around with headphones on.
If you end up living on Central Campus with classes on North, plan on using the bus. They are clean, warm, and you can see where they are on their route using their app. This way, you can stay inside a building until you know one is approaching.