MoveVU Goal: Increase walking from 6% to 10% by 2025.

According to recent analysis, approximately 26% of Vanderbilt commuters live within a 1-mile radius of campus, roughly a 20-minute walk.

There are many health and wellness benefits to walking. We encourage those who are able to walk to campus to enjoy this free mode. Although this mode may not be an option every day due to weather and other circumstances, every time you can commute to campus by walking makes a positive impact. We suggest having a sturdy umbrella, rain jacket and rain boots on hand to make your walking commute more palatable on rainy days.

Resources:

• Campus Map
• VandySafe App
• Nashville Maps
• Nashville Greenways Map

MoveVU Goal: Increase biking from 3% to 8% by 2025.

According to recent analysis, nearly 39% of Vanderbilt commuters live within a 3-mile radius of campus, roughly an 18-minute bike ride.

Bicycles are a great way to commute to and from and travel across campus. There are personal health and wellbeing benefits to biking and the mode is environmentally friendly.

Individuals with personal bicycles are encouraged to register their bikes with the Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD). Bicyclists must follow the circulation patterns on campus, yield to pedestrians in order to maintain physical distance, walk their bikes in dismount zones noted on campus such as the 21st Ave pedestrian bridges, Rand wall and Medical Center Plaza, and park responsibly at bike racks. 

Bike Parking, Facilities and Resources

View a map of bike parking (covered and uncovered), bike repair stations and shower facilities on campus. 

In need of a helmet? We have helmets available upon request. Contact movevu@vanderbilt.edu for assistance.

Bike lanes and greenways:

• Visit the Walk Bike Nashville website for maps of The Groove (easy-riding routes across Nashville) and the Music City Bikeway (including specific bike lanes).
• In addition, Walk Bike Nashville provides a variety of bicycling resources. 
• For a map of greenways in the city, please visit the Greenways for Nashville website. 

If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident on or near campus involving a bicycle, please report the incident to Vanderbilt University Police Department. For non-emergencies, call 615-322-2745. For emergencies, call 615-421-1911 if you are on campus or 911 if you are off campus.

Nashville BCycle Docked Bike Share

Nashville’s docked bikeshare system, BCycle, has relaunched with a full fleet of electric-assist bikes. Download the BCycle app to see docking stations and e-bike locations. There are two stations adjacent to campus at 21st Ave S & Broadway near the Owen school and 21st Ave S & Wedgewood in Hillsboro Village.

Designated Campus Bike Share

Vanderbilt currently does not have a designated bike share system. The university is actively looking for opportunities to bring dockless or docked bike share to campus.

Bike Friendly University

The League of American Bicyclists, the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike, has honored Vanderbilt University with a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly UniversitySM award in recognition of the institution’s achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus. 

Vanderbilt joins an elite group of 222 colleges and universities in 47 states and the District of Columbia that are taking action to address the health and environmental challenges facing America by creating campuses that are more welcoming to people who bike. Vanderbilt University was awarded the bronze designation in 2015, and the university renewed its bronze status in 2022.  

MoveVU outlines a strategy to pursue platinum designation by 2030. Exciting changes to the bicycling network are occurring in Nashville, and Vanderbilt continues to work with our partners to ensure bicycling is a safe and attractive form of transportation for faculty, students, and staff.

A number of e-scooter companies operate in Nashville. These vehicles can provide a flexible off-campus mobility option for the campus community, but commercial scooter deployment, riding, and parking is currently prohibited at nearly all on-campus locations.

To take a ride on one of these scooters, download the company's app, link a credit card to pay for rides, and use the in-app map to find the closest scooter. Most likely, the closest scooter will be found just outside the edge of the campus deployment boundary. 

When planning a route to your destination, keep in mind that the motor on commercial scooters will turn off when entering the campus boundary. 

If returning to campus via scooter, plan to end your trip before entering the campus boundary, and be thoughtful about where you place the scooter. Make sure not to block paths or access points to any facilities.

Riding personal scooters is allowed on-campus, but the batteries in these devices present an increased fire risk. As such, members of the campus community are prohibited from bringing e-scooters or their batteries into campus buildings for charging or storage.

In need of a helmet? We have helmets available upon request. Contact movevu@vanderbilt.edu for assistance.

MoveVU Goal: Increase transit use from 4% to 10% by 2025.

Recent analysis shows that nearly 35% of all Vanderbilt commuters, for a total of nearly 4,000 people, live within a one seat (no transfer) transit ride to campus. This includes people who live within 1/4 of a mile from a local bus route that comes within 1/8 of a mile to campus, as well as people who live within five miles of an existing park and ride lot whose express bus includes stops within 1/8 of a mile to campus.

Taking the bus is FREE, convenient, sustainable and available to all. Just plan, swipe and ride! Learn more at vu.edu/bus. 

WeGo Public Transit is Nashville’s provider of local and regional bus and commuter rail service. Vanderbilt’s program provides all full-time and part-time Vanderbilt University 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, not only when commuting to and from campus.

Your Commodore Card can take you where you want to go…with WeGo!

MoveVU Goal: Increase carpooling from 6.5% to 8.5% by 2025.

Carpooling is a great way to share on gas costs, avoid wear and tear on personal vehicles, save money on parking and spend more time connecting with fellow Vanderbilt community members.

The MoveVU Commute Hub features a carpool matching tool. Join the carpool interest list if:

• You are interested in carpooling to campus
• You simply want to see if there are other Vanderbilt members in your area that share a similar work schedule and commute route as you who are also interested in carpooling

Campus zones will be used by Vanderbilt’s Transportation and Mobility office to improve carpool and vanpool matching functions in the MoveVU Commute Hub. The campus zone designations, which can be found on this map, help pinpoint commuters’ arriving location since some may have multiple building locations on Vanderbilt’s campus (ex. buildings for study, research, or work).

• Student campus zones are currently defaulted to Vanderbilt University. Students will soon be able to update their campus zone designation dynamically (i.e. daily) in YES; changes in YES will be updated in the MoveVU Commute Hub once a day. Students who do not choose a campus zone will have a default Vanderbilt University location assigned. Note: Students must first register in the MoveVU Commute Hub to utilize carpool and vanpool matching services. Campus zones can only be updated in YES and cannot be updated in the MoveVU Commute Hub.
• Campus zones for faculty, staff and postdocs are automatically assigned based on their work location in Oracle.

MoveVU Goal: Increase vanpooling from 0.25% to 1.5% by 2025.

Vanpooling is a great way to share on gas costs, avoid wear and tear on personal vehicles, save money on parking and spend more time connecting with fellow Vanderbilt community members.

The MoveVU Commute Hub features a vanpool tool that allows you to:

• Register an existing vanpool
• Join a vanpool that matches your work schedule and commute route
• Join the vanpool interest list (if there is not currently a vanpool that fits with your work schedule and commute)

Ready to vanpool? There are a few next steps you can take:

• If you find 4 or more people through the vanpool interest list, you can reach out directly to a van provider to form your vanpool. Vanderbilt works with providers like VanStar and Commute with Enterprise.
• If you find 4 or more people through the vanpool interest and would like assistance navigating how to form your vanpool, contact us at movevu@vanderbilt.edu and we can help you through the process.
• If you only find 1, 2 or 3 potential Vanderbilt vanpoolers in your area, contact us at movevu@vanderbilt.edu, and with your permission, we can connect you with a vanpool provider like VanStar or Commute with Enterprise to see if there are other people outside of Vanderbilt on their interest lists with whom you could form a vanpool.

The university currently provides free parking for VanStar vans; the vans can park in any non-reserved zone space and no special permit is required.

MoveVU Goal: Increase telecommuting from 2.75% to 5% by 2025.

Telecommuting, or working from home, is a zero-emission commute option. While this may not be an option for everyone, employees are encouraged to talk to their manager about opportunities to telecommute.

Vanderbilt developed a remote and hybrid work toolkit with guidance about working in a remote or hybrid environment for new hires, staff and leaders.

Ridehail services like Uber and Lyft can be used on campus. The university is piloting nine designated ridehail pick-up and drop-off locations around campus. The locations are marked with signage 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.

Click on the map below for a larger version of the map. 

The decision to create dedicated ridehail pick-up and drop-off locations on campus was in direct response to requests from students to improve safety measures around the ridehail process. Vanderbilt University Public Safety conducted research on best-practices from peer universities and participated in educational webinars as part of the #WhatsMyName campaign to improve ridehail safety and awareness. The nine pilot locations were identified across campus based on existing ridehail activity and are in well-lit areas that can be easily monitored by cameras and VUPS patrols. This first phase of pick-up and drop-off locations will be monitored, and adaptations or new locations will be added as needed.

Vanderbilt University Public Safety recommends that riders follow these Ridehail Safety Guidelines when using ridehail services.

Vanderbilt has a preferred partnership with Lyft to offer a flexible transportation option for faculty, staff, and students using ridehail services while conducting official university business. Departments can now establish ride parameters for programmatic transportation needs through the Lyft dashboard. Learn more about the Lyft Ridehail Partnership here. 

Electric golf carts are available to provide rides for those with medical or accessibility needs. The service is a joint project among the Equal Opportunity and Access, Student Access, Vanderbilt University Public Safety and Transportation and Mobility offices.

Students 

Students with medical or accessibility needs must register for this service with and be approved through the Student Access Office. If you would like to access the pre-approved mobility rides, contact Student Access through the online portal or at (615) 343-9727.

Pregnant students with accessibility needs must register with and be approved by the Title IX Office for this service. Submit the Pregnancy Accommodation Request Form through the Title IX Office’s website. Call 615-343-9004 or email TitleIX@Vanderbilt.edu with any questions related to pregnant and parenting student accommodations.

Faculty and Staff 

Faculty and staff with medical or accessibility needs must register with and be approved through the Equal Opportunity and Access Office. If you would like to access the pre-approved mobility rides, contact Equal Opportunity and Access at (615) 343-9336.

Pregnant faculty or staff with accessibility needs must register with and be approved by the Title IX Office for this service. If you would like to access the pre-approved mobility rides, submit the Pregnancy Accommodation Request Form through the Title IX Office’s website. Call 615-343-9004 or email TitleIX@Vanderbilt.edu with any questions related to pregnant and parenting accommodations.

Additional services for individuals with medical or accessibility needs:

• Request an escort from Vanderbilt University Public Safety (VUPS) by calling dispatch at the non-emergency number at (615) 322-2745.
• VandyRide, the nighttime on campus shuttle service, has one ADA shuttle that can be diverted from the regular routes to an individual in need.
• Construction detours may impact guests to campus. For event coordinators who may have visitors on campus for conferences and workshops, staff must contact the MobilityRides program for guests with known mobility issues at least one-week prior to the event date to determine accommodations for pre-approval. Last minute requests are discouraged due to scheduling constraints. 

The Vanderbilt University Department of Public Safety administers the nighttime shuttle service VandyRide.  

• Service runs only during the academic year while classes are in session, seven days a week, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• One or more shuttles is designated for Point to Point service (see below for more information).  
• A walking escort may be requested at any time by calling the VUPS Communications Center at 615-322-2745.  

VandyRide Routes:

• Gold Route – Express route from the Peabody campus to main campus
• Black Route – Circulates campus clockwise

Click on the map below to view the interactive map that shows routes and stop locations. 

To access VandyRide routes in real time, download the VandySafe app and go to the “Maps & VandyRide” section or visit the website. Once users are inside the app, they can select “route” in the drop-down menu in the upper left-hand corner and select all routes to see the routes on the map.

Effective, Jan. 9, 2023, both VandyRide routes will be on detours. Work has begun on Jess Neely Drive to install updated utilities and infrastructure to support the upcoming redesign of the FirstBank Stadium south endzone and future Vandy United projects. Additional street closures will be required through 2025 to install campus-wide utilities along portions of 25th Avenue, Natchez Trace, Kensington Place and Children’s Way. Please watch for updates to street closures that may impact VandyRide routes during this time. Please see below for additional resources on nighttime transportation on campus. 

• View active construction closures around campus 

VandyRide Point to Point Service

Undergraduate students living within a half-mile from campus can get a free ride home with VandyRide’s new Point to Point service.

Point to Point allows students who live off campus and are registered with the Dean of Students Office to get a shuttle ride from a campus VandyRide stop or designated ridehail pickup location to their residence within a half-mile of the university. The service, available from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. seven days per week, is one-way and designed to deliver students safely to their off-campus residences. 

Click on the map below for a larger version of the map. 

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 prior to boarding a shuttle.

To use the Point to Point service, follow these steps:

• Students should contact 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 Dean of Students Office.
• 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 shuttles may transport more than one passenger to more than one location per trip. Students should expect an approximately 15-minute wait from when they request a shuttle to its arrival at a VandyRide stop or ridehail location. Point to Point service is subject to change based on demand and available resources, and the university is exploring more options to augment its VandyRide program.

VandyRide Safety Protocols

We will share any applicable health and safety protocols for the shuttles closer to launch.

Additional Resources 

In the event that VandyRide service does not meet your needs, we have additional resources available to ensure you are able to travel safely at night:

• Students can utilize safety features in the VandySafe app including contacting VUPD via phone call or real-time chat, triggering a mobile Bluelight that shares your location instantly with VUPD, or initiating a “Virtual Walkhome” where VUPD can monitor your walk to your car or home.
• In addition, students can take advantage of free bus rides on the WeGo Public Transit routes that run along West End (#3 and #5) and 21st Ave (#7) with their Commodore ID Cards.
• Students with medical or accessibility needs can contact the Student Access Office through the online portal or at (615) 343-9727 to learn more about the pre-approved mobility rides electric golf cart service in partnership with Parking Services. 

Walking is a great way to get around campus and the surrounding neighborhood. There are many health and wellness benefits to walking, and we encourage those who are able to walk to enjoy this free mode. 

Centennial Park, Taste of Nashville restaurants, Hillsboro Village and more are within walking distance.

Resources:

• Campus Map
• VandySafe App
• Nashville Maps
• Nashville Greenways Map

Bicycles are a great way to commute to and from and travel across campus. There are personal health and wellbeing benefits to biking and the mode is environmentally friendly.

Individuals with personal bicycles are encouraged to register their bikes with the Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD). Bicyclists must follow the circulation patterns on campus, yield to pedestrians in order to maintain physical distance, walk their bikes in dismount zones noted on campus such as the 21st Ave pedestrian bridges, Rand wall and Medical Center Plaza, and park responsibly at bike racks. 

Bike Parking, Facilities and Resources

View a map of bike parking (covered and uncovered), bike repair stations and shower facilities on campus. 

In need of a helmet? We have helmets available upon request. Contact movevu@vanderbilt.edu for assistance.

Bike lanes and greenways:

• Visit the Walk Bike Nashville website for maps of The Groove (easy-riding routes across Nashville) and the Music City Bikeway (including specific bike lanes).
• In addition, Walk Bike Nashville provides a variety of bicycling resources. 
• For a map of greenways in the city, please visit the Greenways for Nashville website. 

If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident on or near campus involving a bicycle, please report the incident to Vanderbilt University Police Department. For non-emergencies, call 615-322-2745. For emergencies, call 615-421-1911 if you are on campus or 911 if you are off campus.

Nashville BCycle Docked Bike Share

Nashville’s docked bikeshare system, BCycle, has relaunched with a full fleet of electric-assist bikes. Download the BCycle app to see docking stations and e-bike locations. There are two stations adjacent to campus at 21st Ave S & Broadway near the Owen school and 21st Ave S & Wedgewood in Hillsboro Village.

Designated Campus Bike Share

Vanderbilt currently does not have a designated bike share system. The university is actively looking for opportunities to bring dockless or docked bike share to campus.

Bike Friendly University

The League of American Bicyclists, the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike, has honored Vanderbilt University with a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly UniversitySM award in recognition of the institution’s achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus. 

Vanderbilt joins an elite group of 222 colleges and universities in 47 states and the District of Columbia that are taking action to address the health and environmental challenges facing America by creating campuses that are more welcoming to people who bike. Vanderbilt University was awarded the bronze designation in 2015, and the university renewed its bronze status in 2022.  

MoveVU outlines a strategy to pursue platinum designation by 2030. Exciting changes to the bicycling network are occurring in Nashville, and Vanderbilt continues to work with our partners to ensure bicycling is a safe and attractive form of transportation for faculty, students, and staff.

A number of e-scooter companies operate in Nashville. These vehicles can provide a flexible off-campus mobility option for the campus community, but commercial scooter deployment, riding, and parking is currently prohibited at nearly all on-campus locations.

To take a ride on one of these scooters, download the company's app, link a credit card to pay for rides, and use the in-app map to find the closest scooter. Most likely, the closest scooter will be found just outside the edge of the campus deployment boundary. 

When planning a route to your destination, keep in mind that the motor on commercial scooters will turn off when entering the campus boundary. 

If returning to campus via scooter, plan to end your trip before entering the campus boundary, and be thoughtful about where you place the scooter. Make sure not to block paths or access points to any facilities.

Riding personal scooters is allowed on-campus, but the batteries in these devices present an increased fire risk. As such, members of the campus community are prohibited from bringing e-scooters or their batteries into campus buildings for charging or storage.

In need of a helmet? We have helmets available upon request. Contact movevu@vanderbilt.edu for assistance.

Taking the bus is FREE, convenient, sustainable and available to all. Just plan, swipe and ride! Learn more at vu.edu/bus. 

WeGo Public Transit is Nashville’s provider of local and regional bus and commuter rail service. Vanderbilt’s program provides all full-time and part-time Vanderbilt University 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, not only when commuting to and from campus.

Your Commodore Card can take you where you want to go…with WeGo!

Ridehail services like Uber and Lyft can be used on campus. The university is piloting nine designated ridehail pick-up and drop-off locations around campus. The locations are marked with signage 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.

Click on the map below for a larger version of the map. 

The decision to create dedicated ridehail pick-up and drop-off locations on campus was in direct response to requests from students to improve safety measures around the ridehail process. Vanderbilt University Public Safety conducted research on best-practices from peer universities and participated in educational webinars as part of the #WhatsMyName campaign to improve ridehail safety and awareness. The nine pilot locations were identified across campus based on existing ridehail activity and are in well-lit areas that can be easily monitored by cameras and VUPS patrols. This first phase of pick-up and drop-off locations will be monitored, and adaptations or new locations will be added as needed.

Vanderbilt University Public Safety recommends that riders follow these Ridehail Safety Guidelines when using ridehail services.

Vanderbilt has a preferred partnership with Lyft to offer a flexible transportation option for faculty, staff, and students using ridehail services while conducting official university business. Departments can now establish ride parameters for programmatic transportation needs through the Lyft dashboard. Learn more about the Lyft Ridehail Partnership here. 

Electric golf carts are available to provide rides for those with medical or accessibility needs. The service is a joint project among the Equal Opportunity and Access, Student Access, Vanderbilt University Public Safety and Transportation and Mobility offices.

Students with medical or accessibility needs must register for this service with and be approved through the Student Access Office. If you would like to access the pre-approved mobility rides, contact Student Access through the online portal or at (615) 343-9727.

Pregnant students with accessibility needs must register with and be approved by the Title IX Office for this service. If you would like to access the pre-approved mobility rides, submit the Pregnancy Accommodation Request Form through the Title IX Office’s website.

Additional services for individuals with medical or accessibility needs:

• Request an escort from Vanderbilt University Public Safety (VUPS) by calling dispatch at the non-emergency number at (615) 322-2745.
• VandyRide, the nighttime on campus shuttle service, has one ADA shuttle that can be diverted from the regular routes to an individual in need.