On foot
Most of what's interesting in Carbondale itself is within walking distance of the center of town Main and Illinois, at least for most fit travelers. Generally however, sidewalks are most reliably available and intact within the center city between Oakland Avenue on the west and Wall Street on the East, including the SIU campus of course, which with its many well-tended and winding paths, grassy knolls, several woods, and a lake is an urban hiker's bonanza.
By bike
There are bicycle lanes on many of the bigger streets throughout town, and the smaller streets are generally quiet enough that even the least experienced urban cyclist should feel completely safe. The latter is especially true in the western mostly faculty inhabited parts of town.
If you feel like taking a longer ride there are ample opportunities around Carbondale, especially to the east and west. Try riding Grand Avenue toward Crab-Orchard lake take a little jog to the right at Giant City Road. Illinois Highway 13 leading west from Carbondale to the neighboring city of Murphysboro is surprisingly bicycle friendly: the shoulder is paved and the width of a full traffic lane. The whole trip center-to-center is about 7 miles, but with the growth of the incorporated parts of the two towns it's only about 1½ miles between the two city limits.
By taxi
Ace Taxi
800 E. Walnut St. - 618-549-8294 Ace Taxi runs bright green cabs with fast service and a wait time usually around 10 minutes. They accept credit cards which is really convenient. The drivers are really nice and wear uniforms. The cabs are hands down the nicest in the area as they are clean inside and even smell good. Also they do not make you ride with strangers which is nice as well.Yellow Cab
215 S. Illinois Avenue at Walnut Street. The cab stand is only a block or two from the bars and restaurants of Illinois Avenue and downtown, but you could wind up waiting there for a while if all of the cabs are out. Cabs tend to be dirty and poorly kept. Don't be surprised if you end up sharing the cab with strangers - unlike most urban taxi companies, Yellow Cab will take multiple passengers on a single trip.
By car
Driving in Carbondale is pretty straight-forward, with only a couple of instances of one-way streets Main St. West-bound, Walnut St. East-bound, Illinois Ave. North-bound, and University Ave. South-bound.
The biggest hassle for drivers is the difficulty of parking anywhere near the SIU campus when classes are in session. Most spaces on campus require a special sticker which are available to older students or to staff or faculty. A few spaces are reserved strictly for visitors, however the best advice is probably not to bother, since there are ample parking spaces a few blocks away in town, and the walk is generally quite pleasant.
By bus
Saluki Express
(http://www.siucstudentcen...). +1 618 453-5749. The SIU Student Center operates a bus system with 9 regular routes operating whenever classes are in session. There is also late night service and a special intersession service. Tickets cost one dollar for the general public, and passes are available starting at $13 per month. SIU students ride free.