Commute Options for College Students: Rhodes College
It’s time to face the facts: driving is TOO expensive! Purchasing a car is no small feat, and the expenses don’t stop there. Gas prices are constantly rising and car maintenance will put a significant dent in your wallet.
College is a time of pinching pennies, and owning a car can make this pretty difficult. Enter Commute Options! We are here to help you discover the transportation resources at your disposal. Memphis is home to a number of colleges that each come with unique options for commuting and transportation
So, let’s dive into a few of the options available to Rhodes College students!
Carpooling.
This is one of our favorite options for college students! To begin with, finding people to carpool with is much easier while living in a dorm. You are near individuals who will likely be headed to the same place as you at some point. So, before heading out, shoot a mass text and see if anyone needs a ride. Do you know someone else with a car? Create a schedule to alternate driving and reduce the mileage put on your car. Need a ride but don’t have a car? Start asking around! Carpooling will help you meet people, develop friendships, reduce the amount you drive, and/or provide transportation if you don’t have a car, and reduce the number of cars on the road!
Walking/Bicycling.
Rhodes's location in the Vollentine-Evergreen district means it is adjacent to neighborhoods full of sidewalks and bike lanes! Make your way downtown using the bike lane on North Parkway. Use the North McLean bike lane to travel toward Overton Park, Overton Square, Cooper-Young, and more. Plus, from Overton Park, you can connect to the Hampline and Greenline, which allow you to make your way all over Memphis. Don’t have a bike? Overton Park is a great place to solve this problem as well! You can rent a bike from the park’s Explore Bike Share location.
In addition to the multitude of bike lanes, one of the things we love about Rhodes College is its proximity to the V&E Greenline. This protected path is ideal for walking from Rhodes to Crosstown Concourse.
Public Transportation.
Don’t sleep on public transportation! Visit MATA’s website to see the many bus stops within walking distance of Rhodes College. From there, you can plan a route to anywhere in the city.
Another great public transportation option is Groove On-Demand, a rideshare program that services Downtown, the Medical District, South City, and New Chicago. While its service radius doesn’t reach as far as Rhodes College, it does reach Crosstown Concourse, making it a great resource for multi-modal commutes. Use the V&E Greenline mentioned above to reach Crosstown Concourse, then have Groove On-Demand pick you up from there.
Rhodes College offers lots of options for those looking to ditch the car and diversify their transportation routes: with close connections to bike lanes, protected paths, and public transportation, Rhodes is the ideal location for the conscious commuter.
Keep an eye out for the second installment in our series highlighting commute options for other Memphis colleges and universities. Up next: the University of Memphis!