Ride Requests
If you have not yet registered with our department for qualified services, please get in touch with Student Services at 217-333-1970.
If you need to schedule a ride, contact Mylinda Netherton at 217-244-4104 or email mylindag@illinois.edu.
DRES Bus Ridership
Qualified Rides
DRES’ Office of Accessibility and Transportation offers transportation service from established pickup locations on campus. Qualified rides include those to:
- Class
- On-campus residence
- Medical appointments
- University sponsored events
- The University of Illinois Willard Airport and the Illinois Terminal
How it works
- Regular Routes
- Night Rides
- Call-in Services for Temporary Needs
- Other Qualified Rides
- Persons with Temporary Disabilities
All registered students must submit ride requests to the Coordinator of Accessibility and Transportation, Mylinda Netherton at mylindag@illinois.edu.
Ride pickup locations may change due to the number of available buses, a student’s individual ride needs, and/or inclement weather conditions. The Office of Accessibility and Transportation will make every effort to contact riders in a timely manner via email, phone calls, and web site announcements regarding changes in ridership, pickup locations, and services.
The following sections give specific information on regular routes, night rides, call-in services, and other qualified rides.
Bus service at a glance
Regular Routes
The Office of Accessibility and Transportation offers regular route service with pickups from the place of residence to classes beginning from the Rehabilitation Education Center at 7:30 a.m. through 7:30 p.m.
Night Rides
The Office of Accessibility and Transportation has a driver on duty for night rides for classes and evening activities until 7:30p.m., Monday through Friday. The night driver can be reached via cell phone at 217-369-6830 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Call-in Services for Temporary Needs
The Office of Accessibility and Transportation offers call-in services from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, for rides that are not needed on a regular weekly basis. Examples include medical appointments and rides provided for class exams. In order to be able to best serve these needs, the rider is required to give at least one hour advance notice prior to needing the scheduled ride.
Other Qualified Rides
- Weekend rides: Weekend transportation is available for classes, university sponsored activities, and special events that are pre-approved. Riders requesting weekend rides must call our office by 3 p.m. the Wednesday before the weekend ride is desired. Riders must provide the Office of Accessibility and Transportation the exact number of anticipated riders for all events, including number of personal assistants, and all rides must be pre-approved by the Coordinator.
- Off-campus rides: The Office of Accessibility and Transportation offers limited service off campus beyond the university district area for university classes, activities, and special events. The university district area is defined as University Avenue to the north, Neil Street to the west, Windsor Road to the south, and Race Street to the east. All requests for off-campus rides are received through the main office and must be pre-approved by the Coordinator.
Persons With Temporary Disabilities
The Office of Accessibility and Transportation provides ride services on campus for persons with temporary disabilities. Persons with temporary disabilities requesting rides must register for DRES services prior to scheduling regular rides. Persons with permanent disabilities take priority over those with temporary disabilities when rides are scheduled. The Office of Accessibility and Transportation.