ANU campus is centrally located in Canberra, adjacent to the bustling CBD shopping and eateries. Active and shared transport options to campus are often more convenient and cheaper than driving and parking a car at or near ANU.
Whether you live near campus or in the suburbs of Canberra, there are options for cutting down on driving to and from campus. New electric motorised vehicles, an expanding public transport system in the ACT and a growing number of convenient cycling and walking paths make choosing sustainable transport easier than ever.
Check out some of these options below and consider if you can adopt one or a combination of them to get to ANU.
Are you unsure how to get started, or do you want a buddy for the ride? Join the ANU Green Network, where we've set up regional channels to help ANU staff and students connect with their neighbours. Let people know if you have a spare seat in the car for carpooling or if you want to find a buddy or two to ride a bike or take public transport together.
Our recent survey on daily commuting and working from home habits was designed to gather information to help us calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with working or studying at ANU and understand our community’s commuting behaviour. Read the survey report (PDF, 210 KB) for the key findings.
Quick links
Active travel
Walking
Live near campus? Why not try walking to ANU? There are long-term health and wellbeing benefits to walking to work, not to mention it's free.
The city and major public transport interchanges are a 5–15 minute walk from most parts of the campus. Alternatively, you could find free parking near campus and walk from there.
Staff and students are encouraged to use lighted footpaths when walking at night. ANUOK is the official safety and wellbeing app for our ANU community. ANU Security and Uni Safe Patrol can escort you from University buildings to car parks, halls and colleges at night. Call 6125 2249.
Cycling
Cycling is a safe and easy way to get around the campus and the whole of Canberra. There are dedicated cycling paths throughout the city. There are outdoor bike shelters scattered across the Acton campus where you can securely lock up your bike and shower amenities in many buildings if you have an energetic ride. View the ANU Campus Environment website for cycling safety tips and more information about storage facilities on the ANU campus.
Do you want to learn to ride a bike or build confidence? Pedal Power ACT hosts learning sessions called Cycle Well for learning to ride as an adult and New Horizons for those wanting to build confidence and improve techniques. They also have lessons for maintaining your bike and lessons for children to learn to ride.
If you are searching for a bike, one option is to check out the Recyclery, a community bicycle workshop with tools, experienced mechanics, volunteers and an endless supply of secondhand bikes and components. Do you have a bike in reasonable condition that you don’t use? Drop it to the Recyclery, and they will help give it a second life.
The ReCyclery also hold regular events where you can get free help learning to fix your bike, including a Cycle Jam on Saturday afternoons at the Food Coop near the ANU campus. Volunteers who are willing to share bike repair skills are also welcome. See their website for more information.
Electric bicycle
Or how about an e-bike? E-bikes make cycling to work more accessible for many of us. E-bikes make going up hills a breeze, reduce travel times and remove the need to shower at the end of your ride. A recent Australian study also showed that participants had improved mental and physical wellbeing from riding e-bikes, saying they felt happier when riding. With the reduced driving and parking costs, an e-bike could pay for itself in as little as a year.
You can register for a free e-bike trial for two weeks from the Canberra Electric Bike Library to see if it's the right choice for you.
For eligible staff interested in purchasing an e-bike for commuting, ANU salary sacrifice options include e-bike purchases. Read more here.
Electric scooter
Electric personal transporters have become popular, especially for getting around quickly and easily. Various motorised micromobility vehicles that cater to individual needs are available on the market. The most popular include e-scooters, electric skateboards, onewheels and electric unicycles.
If you are considering getting an electric mobility device, visit the Transport Canberra website for regulations and road safety information on these vehicles.
Visit the ANU Campus Environment website for safety information about using e-scooters on campus. Please note that e-scooters cannot be taken into ANU buildings.
Park and cycle
ACT Government have built carparks in the following locations where you can park your car for free and ride your bike the rest of the way. It's a great way to incorporate exercise and save on parking costs. Car parks are available at:
- Lindsay Pryor National Arboretum Carpark
- Caswell Drive, Glenloch Interchange
- Hackett Shops, Hackett Place
- Kellaway Street, Hackett
- Palmerville Heritage Park
Public transport
Canberra's public transport options include buses and the light rail, which provide reliable and timely services that stop on and around campus.
ACT public transport can be paid via several options in the MyWay+ system. Options include scanning a Visa or Mastercard, MyWay+ card, physical ticket or the MyWay+ Pass app. Visit the Transport Canberra website for more information and to register for a MyWay+ account.
An adult fair at peak time is less than $4. Full-time students are eligible for a concession rate, which can be as little as half the price of a standard fair. The ACT Government also has caps on the amount you pay per day and the number of trips you must pay for each month. To learn more about these options, visit the Transport Canberra website.
Light rail
There is a light rail that extends from Gungahlin and ends in Civic. During peak times, there is a tram every 5-6 minutes. Outside of peak times and on weekends, trams come every 10-15 minutes. Check out how to use the light rail on the Transport Canberra website.
Buses
Canberra has bus routes connecting every suburb. Some routes are rapid routes linking busy interchanges such as Civic, Belconnen, Woden, Tuggeranong, Queanbeyan, etc. Use the ACT journey planner to map out your best route option.
Park and ride
Many major bus and tram stops are Park and Ride locations, meaning you can park your car for free and ride the bus or light rail into ANU. Please note that some carparks require a permit linked to your MyWay+ account. For more details on Park and Ride, visit the Transport Canberra website.
Bike and ride
Another option is to ride your bike part of the way and take the bus or light rail into ANU. Most buses have a bike rack with space for two bikes, and each tram has space for four bikes on board. Alternatively, you can lock your bike on the rails or bike shelters at your chosen stop. Visit cycling in Canberra on the Transport Canberra website.
Shared transport
Whether it's carsharing, shared e-scooters or carpooling, we can use shared transportation options in many ways.
Carpooling
Carpooling with your colleagues and friends benefits individuals, our community and the environment. Peak-hour traffic is a major stress for many of us when getting to work. Riding with a colleague or neighbour cuts down on your costs, builds community, reduces our carbon footprint and relieves traffic congestion with fewer cars on the road.
Not sure if you have colleagues nearby that you could share a ride to work with? Why not bring it up at your next team meeting and see if others are interested. You can also join the ANU Green Network, where we've set up regional channels to help ANU staff and students connect with their neighbours. Let people know if you have or want to find a spare seat in the car for carpooling.
Shared e-scooters
Canberra also has shared e-scooter services, with scooters readily available all over campus and the city. To find out more information, including how to sign up to use these scooters, visit the Transport Canberra website.
Visit the ANU Campus Environment website for safety information about using e-scooters on campus.
Carshare
Need a car to run a couple of errands but you didn’t drive to campus? ANU has partnered with Flexicar to make this carshare service available to staff and students. Vehicles can be rented for short or longer periods and are located in dedicated parking across campus, check out the ANU website on how to register to use this service. Choose one of the hybrids on campus to enjoy a lower carbon footprint.
Rideshare
Canberra has several rideshare services, including Uber, Ola, and Didi, which allow you to download their apps to find a ride. Taxi services are also available in Canberra.
Driving and parking
Parking on campus
ANU has numerous parking options for staff, students and visitors. Our goals are to support our community in getting to campus safely and to facilitate doing this in a way that reduces environmental impacts. by reducing the number of vehicles travelling to campus and facilitating sustainable transport. Parking on campus can be difficult at times, especially during teaching periods.
Visit the ANU transport and parking website for information on parking on ANU campuses.
Electric vehicles
According to the Electric Vehicle Council, ACT is leading the uptake of zero-emission vehicles. Minister Rattenbury said, “In November [2023], one in four new cars registered in the ACT was an EV.” A positive step towards the ACT goal to be net zero emissions by 2045.
Check out the ANU novated lease options for these low-emissions vehicles. The ACT Government also provides incentives to help make EV ownership more affordable. Additionally, with the Australian Government's Electric Car (EV) Discount, a novated lease on an eligible EV is exempt from Fringe Benefit tax, meaning you don't pay any post-tax contributions. Check out the ANU salary sacrificing options and the ACT Climate Choices - zero emissions vehicle incentives for information.
EV charging stations on campus
In June 2024, six new DC fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers near the School of Art and Design were launched at a media event on the Acton campus. The chargers are part of the ACT Government’s first round of public funding to support Canberra’s electric vehicle charger network expansion.
In early 2025, four more fast chargers will be installed on the north side of campus in the Fulton Muir Building car park.
One charger in the Geology Close carpark in front of the Ian Ross Building can charge two vehicles. Charging at this location is free to the public and supported by the ANU School of Engineering.
Check PlugShare.com for more information on these locations.
