Transportation
Brandeis provides safe and efficient transportation for all members of the community who need to travel from one point to another on campus or who need to commute to downtown Waltham, Cambridge or Boston.
Van and Shuttle Services
Brandeis' vans and shuttles travel around campus, Waltham and beyond.
View Vans and Shuttle Schedules
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Subway
Greater Boston's subway system, known as the T, is made up of a variety of transit systems. Trains, buses, and the commuter rail are widely used by the Greater Boston community. There are five different colors of trains that travel from the city center out to neighborhoods such as Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, Medford, Somerville, East/South Boston and more.
Commuter Rail
The commuter rail train is a fast and convenient way to get to Boston and Cambridge (as well as some west-lying towns). Schedules vary for the commuter rail on weekends and holidays, so be sure to have a current schedule with you.
Only the Fitchurg Line train stops at the Brandeis-Roberts station at the south edge of campus, along South Street across from the Epstein Service Center. Allow for a 10-minute walk from the center of main campus.
The Fitchcurg Line train goes east to Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge and North Station in Boston. In Cambridge, the train stops at the Porter Square station, where connections can be made to the Red Line of Boston's 'T' subway system. In Boston, the train stops at North Station, where you can get on both the Green and Orange Lines of the 'T'. These have connections to all other lines of the subway system.
Buses
Buses provide service to virtually all points in the metropolitan Boston area. The number 553 bus runs by Brandeis, goes through the center of Waltham and into Newton. It is a great alternative to driving through Waltham.
From Main Street, at the end of South Street near the Walgreens, or at the Cedarwood stop, located at the back end of campus, one can catch number 70 bus that go to Central Square in Cambridge by way of Watertown. This bus passes the Watertown Mall and the Arsenal Mall.
Number 61 bus was added to replace 70A bus, it travels from North Waltham to Waltham Center. This bus line is great if you only need to get around the city of Waltham.
Drive Green
Brandeis commuters have many options for "driving green" and helping the university reduce its carbon footprint. Here are just a few suggestions:
Bay State Commute
Carpool
Carpool parking is open to Brandeis faculty, staff and commuter students who already possess a valid permit for a vehicle to park on campus.
Parking Regulations
- Two spaces are available in Chapels Lot and one space is available on Loop Road (Upper Campus) and in North Lot.
- Spaces are reserved for carpool parking between 6 and 10 a.m., Monday through Friday, except staff holidays. After 10 a.m., any vehicle with a valid parking pass for the respective lot may park in a carpool space.
- Each carpool member must display his or her individual carpool parking pass on the dashboard of the carpool vehicle to park in a carpool space between 6 and 10 a.m. The vehicle used to park in a carpool space must possess a valid parking permit for the lot in which the vehicle is parked.
- Inclement weather may impact the availability of carpool spaces. The Office of Parking and Traffic has the authority to suspend preferential parking due to inclement weather or any other reasonable event.
- Any vehicle found parked in violation of the carpool space regulations is subject to fines and/or towing at the owner’s expense.
Applying for a Carpool Pass
- Identify the person you plan to carpool with by connecting with them on Bay State Commute.
- Each carpool member must complete a carpool pass application. The application must state each individual member of the carpool.
- Applicants will be notified when their parking pass will be available for pickup at the parking and traffic office.
Vanpool
Zipcar
Brandeis has several Zipcars on campus, parked near the Stoneman Building. Zipcars are ideal for grocery shopping, running a quick errand or weekend getaways.
The Brandeis Zipcar program:
- Is open to students 18 and older, faculty, staff and international drivers.
- Offers discounted university rates, by the hour or by the day.
- Includes gas, insurance, maintenance and up to 180 miles per day.
Electric Vehicles Charge Statation
Recognizing that electric vehicles emit fewer emissions than almost all comparable gasoline and hybrid cars, Brandeis has installed 10 electric vehicle charging stations at four different parking lots on campus: Admissions, Athletics, Theater and Tower Lots.
The charging fee is 20 cents per kwh. Drivers are permitted to park at the stations only while their vehicles are charging. To access the stations, drivers must have accounts with the respective networks. The best way to access the stations is with the Shell Recharge App and the Chargepoint App.
Admissions, Athletics, Tower Lots
- Charging stations at the Admissions, Athletics, and Tower lots operate on the ChargePoint network.
Theater, Athletics, Tower Lots
- Charging stations at the Theater, Athletics, and Tower lots operate on the Shell Recharge network (formerly Greenlots).
Reporting an issue with a station
Contact Shell Recharge or Chargepoint directly via their apps. This is the most efficient way to report a station issue. If that is not possible, open a work order with facilities services via its online service request form or by calling ext. 6-8500.