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 www.cata.org for personal trip itineraries,
comprehensive service information and online pass sales.
Weekday Campus Regular Fixed-Route Service - Six routes serve campus Monday-Friday starting at 7:00 a.m. during fall and spring semesters. Service runs until 2:30 a.m. on Route 30-South and East Neighborhoods, Route 31-Brody and East Neighborhoods. Service ends at 2:00 a.m. on Route 39-University Village. Route 38-Spartan Village concludes at 10:30 p.m.
Service on Route 33-Union/South Neighborhood ends at 10:30 p.m. Route 32 Commuter Lot/Auditorium/Clinical Center serves campus until 7:00 p.m.
Evening and Late-Night Campus Service Seven Days a Week - CATA offers two curb-to-curb demand-response services within the campus boundaries during fall and spring semester, excluding university breaks and university-recognized holidays. You can call 1-517-432-8888 or 2-8888 from any campus phone to request a ride. With either service, the bus arrives within 20 minutes of your call.
Lot Link operates from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. on weekends. Buses travel between parking lots (#80, #83, #89, and #91). Rides must start or end at one of the four lots. Service is also available to/from Spartan Village Monday - Friday during regular service hours.
The Night Owl operates from 2:00 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. weekdays (until 9:00 a.m. on weekends). You can also use campus green light phones, located throughout campus, to call for Night Owl service. Passengers may travel between any two locations on campus. Residents of 1855 Place, University and Spartan Village Apartments may also use The Night Owl when traveling to or from any campus location during these hours.
Weekend Campus Service - CATA’s weekend service operates from approximately 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. during fall and spring semesters, excluding university breaks and university-recognized holidays. Weekend service is provided on Routes #34, #35, and #36.
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.
Fares and Passes For LotLink, Night Owl and Off-Campus Routes - The student cash fare is 60¢. Cash fare customers must show the bus driver a valid Michigan State University Student ID to qualify for the 60¢ fare. Customers not showing the Michigan State University Student ID will pay the regular fare of $1.25. Free transfers are available on all off-campus CATA fixed-route buses.
Students may also purchase a CATA 31-Day Student Pass for $18 or a Semester Pass for $50. These two passes are good on Lot Link, Night Owl and for all CATA fixed-route transportation services off-campus. Passes are sold online at www.cata.org, the MSU ID Office, and many convenient off-campus locations. A lost or stolen Semester Pass may be replaced if the original pass was linked the student’s ID when purchased. Students are allowed one replacement pass free of charge per semester. Contact the MSU ID Office in Room 170 of the International Center for a replacement.
The regular fare for non-student faculty and staff is $1.25 on any off-campus route. A 31-Day Adult Pass is available for $35.
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.
CATA Information and Assistance - Visit CATA’s Web site at www.cata.org for online chat assistance, a personalized trip itinerary or online bus pass purchases, service and fare information, updates on route detours and service changes, etc. CATA’s Customer Information Center can provide trip planning assistance in person, by phone or e-mail. Representatives are available to talk, Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Call 1-517-394-1000 or 2-CATA (2-2282) from any campus phone for assistance, or e-mail info@cata.org. CATANOW provides next-bus real-time departures by texting your bus stop number to 76123. Printed bus schedules are available in most residence halls and at other key campus locations. The ADD line is the Michigan Relay Center Voice - 1-800-649-3777. Large-print versions and MP3 files (downloadable at www.cata.org) of all CATA schedules are available for persons with visual impairments. CATA's bus-hailing kits are designed for use at bus stops served by more than one route. The kit allows visually impaired riders to signal the number of their route to operators of approaching buses. Contact CATA Customer Experience at 1-517-394-1000 to request these materials. You can also follow CATA on Facebook.com/rideCATA and Twitter.com/rideCATA.
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.