Commutative Algebra and Algebraic Geometry Conference
at
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN


View of Urbana

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, Illinois
November 4 - 6, 2011


Practical Information


In order to plan your visit, you may find useful information by reading the following notes and visiting the associated websites. In particular, you will find information about directions and transportation to campus, campus map, parking, dining, etc.


  1. Parking: Unfortunately, parking in the campus area is very limited and expensive. Most of the metered spaces on city streets in the campus area are limited to 2 hours, and meters are in effect weekdays through 9 pm and on Saturdays. The best option is to use the John Street parking garage at the southwest corner of John St and 6th Street in Champaign, located one block from Altgeld Hall. The lower level of the garage has metered spaces, at 75c per hour, up to a maximum of 10 hours. In contrast to street parking, these spaces are free after 5 pm weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday. Thus, you can leave your car there till late in the evening, but only need to feed the meter until 5 pm. Note that the meters accept only quarters, dimes, and nickels, so be sure to have a sufficient supply of coins with you to last for the full day. After 5 pm, and all day on Saturday and Sunday, all levels of the garage are available for public parking, as are all other University parking lots except those explicitly marked as 24 hour spaces.


  2. Travel information:
    1. By plane to the Champaign airport: The Champaign airport ("University of Illinois Willard Airport", airport code CMI) is served by American Airlines and located about a 15 minute drive from the University of Illinois campus. Flying into Champaign is the most convenient and most hassle-free way to get to the University of Illinois campus. Otions to get from the airport to Champaign/Urbana are a city bus line ("Air Bus" - see below) and a taxi (around $15).
    2. By plane to Chicago's O'Hare airport: Flying into Champaign is usually (but not always!) more expensive than flying into Chicago, the closest major airport hub. If there is a significant difference in airfares, you may want to consider booking a flight into Chicago instead. To get from Chicago's O'Hare airport to Champaign there are several options:
      1. Illini Shuttle and LEX Express are commercial shuttle bus lines providing service between Champaign and the Chicago area, including the O'Hare and Midway airports. Their buses pick up passengers directly at the airport, and they have several drop-off locations in the Champaign-Urbana area, including one in the heart of campus, near Altgeld Hall. A trip takes around 3 hours, and typically costs about $30, though costs can vary depending on demand.
      2. Amtrak has train service between Union Station in downtown Chicago and Champaign. This is less convenient than using one of the shuttle bus lines as trains are infrequent and one needs to get to downtown Chicago first.
      3. Renting a car in Chicago and driving to Champaign: Some University visitors prefer this option because of the flexibility it allows. The car rental adds to the cost , though for groups of three or more it may be more economical than other alternatives.
  3. Resources and Links:
    1. University of Illinois Visitor Page: Maps, directions, and links to other resources.
    2. Campus Map: The conference site, and home of the mathematics department, is Altgeld Hall, located near the southeast corner of Green and Wright Streets, adjacent to the Illini Union.
    3. Green Bus Schedule, Weekdays,
      Green Bus Schedule, Sundays.
      The "Green" Bus line travels along Green Street and provides a convenient way to get from Hendrick House to campus, and to the Amtrak station in downtown Champaign. The closest stop to Altgeld Hall is Illini Union. For the Amtrak Station use the Illinois Terminal stop. Illinois Terminal is the main bus hub in Champaign, and located directly across from the Amtrak station.
    4. Air Bus Schedule, Weekdays,
      Air Bus Schedule, Sundays.
      The "Air Bus" (Line No. 27 weekdays, and 270 weekends) is a city-operated bus service between the Champaign Airport ("Willard Terminal"), downtown Champaign, and campus. Click on the above links for a schedule and a map. The airport bus stop is right outside the terminal. Tickets are $1 each.
    5. University of Illinois Weather Page: The best source for local weather information, and live radar.
    6. FlightStats: Flight tracking site. Click on "Airports" and type in "CMI" to check the status of flights into and out of Champaign.
    7. http://www.visitchampaigncounty.org/