Mindful Transportation
The combination of buses and bikes makes it easy to commute without a car while attending Naropa University. Boulder and the surrounding Front Range have an extensive bus and bicycle commuter system in place. Bicycling Magazine placed Boulder at #10 for Best Bike Cities in America in 2016, and Naropa University was given a Bronze rating as a Bicycle Friendly University in 2017 by the League of American Bicyclists. Moreover, our mass transit system (RTD) gives you the option of riding your bike to the bus stop and putting your bike on the bike rack at the front of the bus to get between campuses, or just around town.
Naropa University recognizes the positive ecological, physical and economic benefits of alternative transportation options. Naropa’s Arapahoe Campus has limited parking, and students, staff and faculty are encouraged to find alternatives. Below you will find an extensive list of mindful transportation options available to help you get where you’re going in a good way.
The Naropa Bike Shack
Naropa gives all students, faculty and staff free access to the Naropa Bike Shack, where the Naropa community can keep their cruisers cruising, for free! The City of Boulder won first in the nation by People for Bikes for its cycling “network” (the quality and completeness of its bike paths), and third in the nation in overall bike-friendliness.
The Bike Shack is a non-profit, student-run organization on the Arapahoe campus and it provides a myriad of services such as:
- Build-a-bike program: learn how to build a bike from the ground up for free, and keep the bike too!
- Free tune-ups and check-ups
- Free or low-cost parts and accessories
- Service visits
- Free bikes for visitors and alumni to borrow
- Opportunities to volunteer and gain valuable bike mechanic experience
The Bike Shack is open to all Naropa students, faculty and staff. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please send an email to naropacycles@naropa.edu or stop by during the Bike Shack’s open hours.
EcoPass and CollegePass with RTD
All residential members of the Naropa community are entitled to unlimited use of public transportation in the Denver-Boulder metro areas (including trips to Denver International Airport). All Naropa employees are provided with a free EcoPass, and in-person Naropa students receive a CollegePass. There are convenient bus stops serving all Naropa campuses, and you can plan your trip using RTD’s convenient Trip Planner.
Car Sharing with eGo Carshare
eGo Carshare is one of the first and longest-running local nonprofit carshare organizations in the country, serving the Denver-Boulder community since 2001. eGo’s mission is to provide and promote alternatives to individual car ownership, thereby reducing the environmental and social impacts associated with motor vehicle use. Naropa has dedicated eGo Carshare parking spots on both the Arapahoe and Paramita campuses, making it a convenient option for most of the Naropa community. It’s easy to join, just navigate to eGo CarShare’s signup page, and use the promo code NAROPASTUDENT for $10 off your application fee.
Carpooling and Permit Sharing
Naropa University community members are encouraged to share the cost of a semester permit with one or more carpool partners. This saves money and uses one parking spot: a win-win situation. For more detailed information about permits at Naropa, see the parking permits information page.
