Buses, trains, bicycles, oh my! Not bringing a car to Winona State this fall? No worries! There are many affordable, easy, eco-friendly and hassle free alternatives.
Here are five transportation options for getting around Winona and traveling to and from other nearby cities.
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- Are you bringing a car to college?
- Ride Sharing
Wazoo’s List is the place for the WSU community to connect, kind of like Craigslist, WSU-style. If you are in need of a ride home for the weekend, post your travel plans in Wazoo’s list and see if anyone else is heading in the same direction.
Another place you can look for ride sharing opportunities is in the official WSU class Facebook groups. The groups provide you with the opportunity to connect with future classmates, find ride-shares, get the inside scoop on professors, and share the experiences of life at WSU and beyond.
As an incoming freshman this fall, be sure to join the Class of 2023 to connect with classmates and share a ride.
Ride sharing is not only a smart idea for saving on gas but it is also a great way to meet new friends! You can learn a lot about someone by riding in the car together for a few hours.
- Amtrak
Have you ever been on a train before? Well here’s your chance! Amtrak picks up and drops off people every day, only a few blocks away from main campus.
Right now, a one-way train ticket from Winona to the Twin Cities to go home for winter break is only $20. You can’t beat that kind of price and convenience!
This is also a great way for friends and family to come visit you at WSU. My younger siblings took the train from central Wisconsin to Winona last year and they really enjoyed the change of scenery. Traveling back and forth on I-90 can get old after awhile.
- Rent a bike
Another great thing about the town of Winona is that it isn’t too big. It’s not necessary to have a car to get from one side of a town to another – a bike will suffice.
If you don’t have a bike to bring with you this fall, I know of two places you can rent them: on campus and at the Lake Lodge. To rent a bike on campus, you just bring your student ID to the Student Activity Center (SAC) desk and they will hook you up. Otherwise, you can swing by the Lake Lodge and pay $20 for an all-year access pass to borrow a bike whenever you want.
Insider scoop: the Lake Lodge has tandem bikes! Check out our latest Winona Ice Cream Tour: Tandem Bike Edition video. Riding to get ice cream with your friends just got way more fun!
- Lyft
Lyft is an on-demand transportation company that is now in Winona! Simply download the Lyft app and have a ride at your fingertips.
If you need to make it to the grocery store, you can just arrange a ride through the app and a driver will come pick you up. According to the Winona Daily News, there is a minimum charge of $4.85. However, it only costs a little over $7 to go from Somsen Hall, on campus, to Hyvee and back. That’s a steal!
- Shuttles / Buses
There are many different bus and shuttle options for traveling around Winona as well as to other cities nearby, such as:
- WSU’s Shuttle Service for traveling to and from Main Campus and East Lake
- The Winona Public Transit System is very affordable and can get you from main campus to Target, Wal-Mart and a few other locations across town
- Jefferson Lines can take you directly to other college campuses to visit your friends from high school
So if you’re not bringing a car this fall, don’t worry! You’ve got other options. In fact, there are actually many reasons why you shouldn’t bring a car to college. If you are planning on bringing a car, maybe you will now reconsider.
I hope these alternative options help you get to where you need to be, hassle free!
