The campus bus service is provided by the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA). CATA operates fixed routes, serving all university apartments, residence halls, commuter lots, and the main campus 24/7 during fall and spring semesters. Most campus routes do not operate during university breaks or on university-recognized holidays. Additionally, CATA provides direct service to off campus apartments in East Lansing, Lansing, Lansing Township, Okemos, and Haslett areas year round as well as many other destinations in the Greater Lansing area. You can learn about fares, tips for new riders and view the CATA service area online. Visit cata.org for personal trip itineraries,
comprehensive service information and online pass sales.
Free-Fare Campus Fixed-Rate Service - Students, faculty and staff ride for free on all campus fixed routes (Routes 30-39) during fall and spring semesters. Note a fare is required when riding Lot Link, Night Owl, or any off-campus routes. See below.
Paratransit Service - (Service for Persons with Disabilities) - Spec-Tran is a CATA curb-to-curb service for persons with disabilities who are unable to use CATA fixed-route service. Spec-Tran customers must be certified to be eligible to use this service. MSU customers must contact the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) 1-517-884-RCPD (4-7273) TTY: 1-517-355-1293 to apply for certification. Spec-Tran ride reservations must be made by 5:00 p.m. the day before a trip is to occur. Rides can be scheduled up to 14 days in advance. Eligible students may obtain free Michigan State University Spec-Tran passes for trips that originate and end on campus by contacting the RCPD office. To schedule a ride, call 1-517-432-8888 or 2-8888 from any campus phone between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily.
Transit App - Transit is CATA’s preferred mobile app for real-time bus departures, bus tracking and comprehensive trip planning options. The free app is available on iPhone and Android devices.
MSU/CATA TRANSPORTATION CENTER (MSU-CTC) - This indoor facility is the main boarding center for CATA bus routes serving campus. It is located on the ground level of the Shaw Ramp (Ramp 1), between North and South Shaw lanes, just east of the MSU Planetarium. Amenities include phone access to CATA Customer Experience and ride-request phone lines, print maps and timetables, direct access to the Shaw Ramp (Ramp 1), comfortable indoor seating areas, a community policing office, ATM, vending machines and restrooms. The facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those who drive to campus and park in the Shaw Ramp (Ramp 1) can access the MSU-CTC on its ground floor to board a CATA bus for a convenient intermodal commute.