Parking Services wants to make sure that you and your student have all the important information you need as you begin making travel plans for spring break. There are a number of options that will work well for your student regardless of whether they are driving, flying, taking the bus, or riding the train.
Transportation Options for Spring Break
The following are great and affordable transportation options for your student to travel back home for Spring Break. Encourage your student to book his or her seat early as tickets sell out.
Buses from Mason to Regional Cities and Dulles Airport
Mason offers affordable transportation to regional cities and Dulles Airport during Spring Break. Buses will leave from Research Hall at the Fairfax Campus on March 4/5 and return on March 13. Cities include Richmond, Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, New York City, and many more. For a full list of destinations, dates and to buy tickets, please visit http://shuttle.gmu.edu.
Ridesharing with Zimride
Ridesharing is a great and affordable way to travel home for breaks. Zimride is the University’s free rideshare network for students, staff and faculty. Your student can sign up with his or her Mason NetID to find others in the area to carpool with and save money on gas.
UBER – Code: MasonIdea
Uber is a taxi service that provides on-demand rides. The application is available for android and iphone. Uber is offering up to two free rides worth $20 each to new customers. Your student can simply download the app, request a ride, and use the code “MasonIdea” to get $20 off your ride. This is a great option for a connection or to travel to the airport.
Other Transportation Connections
Burke Centre VRE and AMTRAK: Mason’s Burke Centre VRE shuttle travels to the station and your student can take a connecting AMTRAK or VRE train from there.
UNION Station in DC: Your student can board Amtrak and Marc trains, buses like Bolt Bus, Megabus, Greyhound, and Peter Pan, and get a rental car from Union Station in Washington DC.
Other Alternative Transportation at Mason
18% of the University’s carbon footprint comes from commuting. That means, every student has the power to help lower that number. Below are a few transportation tips to share with your college student for a green and affordable commute to campus:
Burke Centre VRE Shuttle: Mason has five different shuttle routes to on-campus and off-campus locations, including to the Burke Centre VRE station. Free garage parking is available at the VRE station. The shuttle runs on Mon – Fri and is timed to the train’s schedule so you never have to wait for more than 3 minutes. Visit the above link for more info.
Bike to Mason Day: Mason was recently renamed a Bicycle Friendly University. Students are changing bike culture across the nation. Bike to Mason Day celebrates existing cyclists and invites all to try biking to campus. The event takes place during Earth Week in April and participants are greeted with a breakfast, complimentary bike repair and goodies. Students can register their bike at http://bike.gmu.edu to receive a free U-lock, bike lights, and maps.
Mason Transportation Updates
Detours and lane closures on the northwest part of the Fairfax Campus. Mason is growing and broke ground this past summer on a new building that will house the College of Health and Human Services. Multiple phases of road closures and detours will take place through the end of the spring semester on the northwest part of the Fairfax Campus as Patriot Circle is rebuilt to the south of its current location between George Mason Boulevard and Aquia Creek Lane. Keep up with the latest construction and other impacts here.
You and your student can also keep up with parking and transportation news on social media:
Twitter: @MasonShuttles and @MasonParking
Facebook: MasonParkingTransportation
If you have any questions, please email us at transpo@gmu.edu or call 703.993.2828.
Josh Cantor
Director
Parking and Transportation