---
title: "What You Need to Know in Fall 2026: Getting Around"
date: 2026-09-01T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/what-you-need-to-know-in-fall-2026-getting-around"
section: Articles
---
# What You Need to Know in Fall 2026: Getting Around

*September 1, 2026* — by [Chris Carroll](/author/chris-carroll)


> Campus officials stress Purple Line safety; e-bus ramp-up continues.

*Purple Line Testing on Campus at night and early morning -  May 6, 2026. Shot from The Hotel and the Purple Line Station on campus

Photo by John T. Consoli/University of Maryland — More Purple Line testing is scheduled on campus as the state's light-rail line continues to move toward its planned opening date in December 2027.*

<span>The journey through the University of Maryland isn't just metaphorical, but practical. On a 1,332-acre campus just outside Washington, Terps use not only their feet but lots of wheel and rail options—Shuttle-UM, local buses, the nearby D.C. Metro and MARC rail, along with a fleet of rentable e-bikes and scooters—to reach their destinations. </span>

<span>It’s a cornucopia of commuting options, but one part might be mysterious to new Terps on campus: the gleaming yet empty pair of rails that spans the University of Maryland from east to west.</span>

<span>Meet the </span>[<span>Purple Line</span>](https://www.purplelinemd.com/)<span>. As construction winds down for the state of Maryland’s long-awaited light-rail project (the projected opening is December 2027), testing of the system on campus will become more frequent as the academic year progresses.</span>

<span>“We are emphasizing Purple Line safety for the entire campus this year,” said Courtney Brown, senior director in the Division of Administration. “It’s going to be a great benefit when it gets here, but we want everyone to use caution around the new infrastructure as the light-rail system becomes a regular part of our daily landscape.”</span>

<span>The state says the project is about 90% finished; once complete, it will link New Carrollton to Bethesda along 21 stations, five of them on or around UMD’s campus, giving students, faculty and staff easier connections throughout the region and beyond.</span>

<span>Light-rail vehicles have been making late-night runs across campus this spring, and testing continues this fall on select nights from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following day. Later in the school year, when daytime testing is expected to begin, trains will share the road with pedestrians, drivers and micromobility riders—making safe behaviors even more crucial.</span>  
  
<span>“Anyone moving around campus should use caution when walking or driving on or near the tracks, paying close attention to traffic signals, and drivers not stopping on the tracks for deliveries, pickups or dropoffs,” Brown said.</span>

<span>In the core of campus, the rails are embedded in the roadway, creating a narrow gap where a bike tire, scooter wheel or wheelchair caster can get stuck if it hits the rail at the wrong angle, potentially resulting in injury. </span>

<span>Cyclists and scooter riders are advised to stick to designated bike paths when possible and, whether on a micromobility vehicle, in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller, campus community members should cross the tracks at a 90-degree angle rather than ride or roll alongside them or cross diagonally.</span>

<span>Then there’s that network of overhead wires. The high-voltage lines that will eventually power the trains are safe to walk under, but they’re still live power lines, meaning no ladders or other tall objects anywhere near them, nothing thrown onto them, and a call to 911 if a line is down.</span>  
  
<span>Pedestrians and drivers will encounter periodic road, lane and sidewalk closures from light-rail construction and testing, with notices available on</span>[<span> UMD’s Purple Line updates page</span>](https://admin.umd.edu/initiatives-and-projects/purple-line/campus-construction-and-testing-notices)<span>.</span>

<span>Questions or accessibility concerns about navigating campus should be addressed to </span>[<span>purpleline@umd.edu</span>](mailto:purpleline@umd.edu)<span>.</span>

**Campus bus and shuttle service**

<span>The first electric buses</span>[<span> arrived on campus this spring</span>](https://today.umd.edu/charging-up-a-new-fleet)<span>, and the fleet keeps growing, with eight of an eventual 27 buses now operating and new charging infrastructure available at the depot on Paint Branch Drive. The new buses are now being used for training drivers and will transition to regular service throughout the fall.</span>


*Passenger boards a bus on Regent&#039;s Drive. — UMD&#039;s growing electric bus fleet will begin carrying passengers on campus this fall.*


**Sidebar note:**

**What You Need to Know**

All week in Maryland Today, we’ll feature important information for the campus community this semester on the following topics:

- Monday: [Dining](https://today.umd.edu/what-you-need-to-know-in-fall-2026-dining-services)
- Tuesday: Transportation
- Wednesday: Facilities
- Thursday: Learning Support and Libraries
- Friday: Athletics and Recreation





**Topics:** [Campus &amp; Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)



**Units:** [Division of Administration](https://today.umd.edu/topic/division-administration), [Department of Transportation Services](https://today.umd.edu/topic/department-transportation-services)