Getting Around

Transportation
There is no public transportation to or from Fermilab, so access to a car is a necessity whether you live on or off site. For short stays, you can rent a car through the Users Office (X3111). Call for up-to-date rates. The rental firm is based at Fermilab so the cars cannot be dropped off at the airport. The Travel Office can also arrange transport to O'Hare International Airport for around $30 (1-way), but reservations must be made in advance.

For on-site transportation, the free Fermilab taxi is available from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays. To call the taxi, dial X4225 (HACK) on site.

You can also rent a bicycle for local travel, but the cost for a week's rental is just about what you would pay for a used bicycle. You can find a used bicycle by looking in classified ads of the local newspapers, or at some of these places:
Play It Again Sports, St. Charles. (630) 584-7334. 1501 W. Main St., St. Charles. Sometimes have used bikes for sale.
Play It Again Sports, Naperville. (630) 355-1121. 24 W. Gartner Rd, Naperville. Sometimes have used bikes for sale.
Performance Bike Shop, Naperville. (630) 983-3010. Rte 59 and Aurora Ave, Naperville. New bikes and bike equipment.

Buying A Car
For a used car in good condition, you should expect to pay perhaps $1,500 to $2,000. However, neither individuals nor dealers expect to receive their asking price for a used car, and frequently will ask for much more than a car is worth.

The Argonne Credit Union, located on the west side first floor of Wilson Hall, has information on the average wholesale price and retail price for various makes and models of cars. You should expect to pay somewhere between the wholesale and retail price.

For federal contractors, Government Vehicles may be available from the General Services Administration, Chicago Fleet Management Center, 4100 West 76th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60652. Cars must be picked up and returned to the Chicago street address. Requests for these vehicles must be made prior to pickup, via the user's home institution.

Any user who needs to use a government vehicle while working at Fermilab must make arrangements with the home institution to obtain a valid U.S. Government Motor Vehicle Operator's Identification Card (Form 346) and the authorization to use governmental vehicles prior to arriving at Fermilab. Vehicles, when available, may be assigned from the department office to drivers holding a valid state license.

Driver's License and Registration
To receive an Illinois driver's license you must provide a minimum of three forms of identification. You must prove name, date of birth, Illinois residence, Social Security Number, and signature for comparison. For preparation, you can pick up a copy of the Illinois “Rules of the Road” booklet at the Users Office (in English, Polish, and Spanish). Technically, if you live in Illinois for over 90 days, you must get an Illinois driver's license (as opposed to a foreign or out-of-state license).

You can obtain a driver's license at the Illinois Secretary of State office, at 339 East Indian Trail Road in Aurora (Phone # (630) 896-1911). Go south on Kirk Road and turn right onto Indian Trail Rd - the offices will be on your left. For more information or other driver service facilities: http://www.sos.state.il.us.

The state of Illinois has a mandatory insurance law that requires drivers to have liability insurance on their personal vehicles (which pays for damage that you might cause to other persons or their property). You must arrange for insurance through a private company, which satisfies the legal requirements. You can reach Geico General Insurance Company by call 1-800-841-3000 toll-free, or any number of other insurance companies by looking in the yellow pages.

Housing
Fermilab's Housing Office (housing@fnal.gov, X3777) is in the lobby of Aspen East at the corner of Sauk Boulevard and Batavia Road in the Fermilab Village (see the map in the appendices of this document). They compile an annual brochure, Apartment and Townhouse Information; most of the apartment complexes it lists offer one-year leases. The staff also maintains a book of privately owned properties for rent or lease and, each spring, prepares a list of homes available just for the summer. The Housing Office staff is glad to help you find off-site housing, but you should make contractual arrangements directly with the landlord.

On-site housing is available at Fermilab Village. Furnished houses, apartments, and dormitory rooms are available for users to rent for up to nine months. The Village has a number of available facilities. To start with, vending machines and laundry facilities are at 18 Sauk Boulevard near the center of the Village (laundry facilities may also exist in the basement of Aspen East). The Users Center (across the street at 2 Che Che Pinqua Street) has a bar, television/video room, game room, and a gourmet restaurant “Chez Leon”.

Other details about living on-site:

• The Housing Office is at X3777 for questions, service, and complaints. It should be informed of the names of current tenants.
• Reservations should be made in advance with the Housing Office, payable by Fermilab budget code, cash, check, MasterCard or Visa. (The deadline for reserving summer housing is usually early March; mid-July for fall housing). You may cancel dorm rooms by 1 PM of the reservation date; but houses and apartments must be canceled at least two weeks in advance or a fee of two weeks rent is charged.
• Upon arriving, you may pick up keys at the Housing Office, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. At other times, you must pick up your keys at the Communications Center, on the first floor of the high rise (WH1NE).
• Check-out time is 10:00 AM in houses and apartments, 1:00 PM in dormitory rooms. Please turn in keys to the Housing Office at Aspen East or to the Communications Center. Late check-out means an extra charge of one day's rent.
• A set of household equipment is included with apartment and house rental. The list is given in Appendix C.
• Weekly maid service is available. It is always included with dormitories, and required for houses and apartments rented by a group.
• Pets are allowed in houses and apartments, but not in dormitory rooms. However, you must notify the Housing Office of your pet and sign a form that you are responsible for any damage it may cause. Dogs should have a valid license and a recent rabies vaccination certificate.

You can find information about renting off-site on the GSA web page. There you will find links and hints to find apartments, hotels and roommates. (http://www.fnal.gov/orgs/gsa/guide2life/rent.html)

Food
There is a cafeteria (Fermilab Southern Foodservice Management) located on the first floor atrium of the Wilson Hall. It is open Monday through Saturday during the following hours:

Breakfast………………...7:30 to 10:15 (8:00 to 10:15 on Saturdays)

Lunch……………………11:30 to 14:00 (11:30 to 13:30 on Saturdays)

Snacks…………………...14:00 to 17:00 (weekdays only)

Director's Coffee Break…15:30 Weekdays at WH2SW

In addition to the cafeteria, Chez Leon, located in the Users Center, serves gourmet meals twice a week. Lunch is served on Wednesday 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM and costs $10 per person. Dinner is served on Thursday at 7 PM and costs $23 per person. The menu is fixed on any given day. For reservations (they're required) call X4512.

There are no stores on-site. The nearest market, Family Foods, is about 3 kilometers (1.5 miles) east of the Village at the corner of Batavia Road and Route 59. It is open from 6 AM to 10 PM every day (call (630) 393-2800).

For more information see “The Western Suburbs'“ Chapter. There you will find information on restaurants and local hang-outs, plus stores and malls in the area.

Postal and Parcel Services
The nearest post office outside Fermilab is located just off Batavia Road, east of Rt. 59. It's on the right-hand side, if you're heading out from the lab, about a half block before Butterfield Road (word of warning here: the post office comes just around a blind corner, so watch carefully for the sign by the road). For sending packages, you can find a UPS place just south of Batavia Road on the east side of Rt. 59, right next to the White Hen Pantry.