Smart Commutes for Off-Campus Students

Considering your commute when you are choosing off-campus housing is important because it can make a financial, sustainable, and health impact. By choosing active transportation options over driving alone, you can save money, reduce carbon emissions, or get some exercise at the beginning and ending of your day. 

Two students smiling while riding bus

With your commute in mind, below are some questions to ask yourself when it’s time to choose off-campus housing:

Is it walkable?

  • About 15% of off-campus undergraduate students and 7% of graduate students walked to and from Rice as their primary commute mode in 2019.
  • An ideal walk commute distance would be less than a mile, but it could be longer based on your preference.
  • Are there continuous, safe sidewalks that connect the residence to campus?
  • Are the sidewalks well-lit at night?
  • Are there safe crossings along the route (e.g. stop signs, signalized intersection, etc.)?
  • When it rains, are there any portions of the sidewalk where it could get flooded?

Is it bikeable?

  • About 16% of off-campus undergraduate students and 11% of graduate students biked to and from Rice as their primary commute mode in 2019.
  • Because Houston is relatively flat, typically anything under 3 miles would make for a bikeable commute distance, but even that is dependent on which streets or trails you will have to bike on to get to and from campus and what type of cyclist you are.
  • To see existing bikeways in Houston, check out Houston Bike Plan Map
  • Check out the Rice Bike Map in this section to see what streets our current Rice bike commuters use since many of the neighborhood streets surrounding campus are not highlighted in the Houston Bike Plan maps but are bike-friendly.
  • Is it near a Houston BCycle station? If you don’t want to own a bike, consider using bike share. The 8 Rice BCycle stations are part of the larger Houston BCycle network. Rice students also get a discount on membership. For more station locations, check out Houston BCycle.
  • Are the streets or trails well-lit at night?
  • Are there safe crossings along the route (e.g. stop signs, signalized intersection, etc.)?
  • When it rains, are there any portions of the street or trail where it could get flooded?

Is the commute skateboard-/longboard-/scooter-friendly?

  • These micromobility options, especially scooters, are gaining traction and can be viable transportation options for a short commute distance.
  • In addition to the considerations for biking, are the streets relatively free of potholes and loose gravel?

Is it transit-oriented?

  • About 7% of off-campus undergraduate students and 7% of graduate students used public transit to and from Rice as their primary commute mode in 2019. About 15% of graduate students used the campus shuttle.
  • Is the residence within a ¼ mile or 5-min walk to a bus stop? Is that bus stop on the 56, 27, or 84 bus lines that drop you off at the edges of campus? Check out Ride Metro Map to see these bus routes.
  • Is the residence within a ¼ mile or 5-min walk to a METRORail stop? There are 3 METRORail Red Line stops (Hermann Park/Rice U, Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Zoo, and Dryden/TMC) that are right next to campus.
  • Is the residence within a ¼ mile or 5-min walk to the Rice Village Apartments or Rice Graduate Apartments? Even if you are not living at RVA or RGA, you can still take these Rice shuttle options to get to and from campus.
  • Rice students have a subsidized transit benefit through the Cashier’s Office. For more information, check out Metro QCards

If the residence you’re considering does not answer any of these questions in the affirmative, consider carpooling with roommates. About 6% of off-campus undergraduate students carpooled in 2019. If you have any other questions regarding your potential commute, please email lisa.lin@rice.edu.