Michigan State University - Transportation

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Students are largely impressed with East Lansing’s CATA bus system, describing it as both convenient and affordable. The CATA bus system in East Lansing caters to MSU students, with fast and reliable bus routes that run anywhere, on campus or off, to the student parking lot or the mall. Late-night bus services are also provided for students who would rather not walk. Most students would rather pack onto a warm, crowded bus in the winter months than the alternative of trudging through foot-high freezing snow. The bus systems provide a safe and reliable—if not always quick—way to get around or off campus. And though there are almost always a few shady characters to be found on the downtown buses, they are usually just eccentric and harmless. All in all, the bus system is a nice alternative to walking across campus or risking steep parking tickets.

East Lansing has many nearby options for students who want to get out of town. Lansing has a small airport that’s served by about 20 airlines, and there are both Amtrak and Greyhound stations convenient to campus. Students traveling to Ann Arbor or the Detroit Metro Airport often take the Michigan Flyer bus, which stops across the street from campus. Those without cars shouldn’t have too many problems getting around at MSU—the biggest issue is the inconvenience of waiting for public transportation. For most student needs, everything is within reasonable walking distance or is, at most, a short bus trip away.

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Students Speak Out

MSUKA says: Arts, Visual and Performing

Public transportation is pretty... Public transportation is pretty cheap and easy once you've figured out the system. Transferring buses sometimes gets confusing and I don't like having to take a bus to the CATA station and waiting for the next bus to come, but if that prevents me from having to walk a mile in the cold, I can't complain too much. 12345 Transportation: March 19, 2009 Report

MSUBM says: Undecided

The CATA buses are pretty... The CATA buses are pretty convenient. They get you around campus and to big places like the mall and Meijer. There's a late night number you can call for the buses and a ton of cab companies. As you get older and want to branch out, however, public transportation becomes a bit more of a nuisance. 12345 Transportation: March 06, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

The CATA bus system is very... The CATA bus system is very convenient transportation to nearly all parts of campus and the surrounding cities, although the buses are often late or full of passengers. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

If you live in Wilson, Holden,... If you live in Wilson, Holden, Wonders, Akers, McDonald, Hubbard, Holmes, Brody, and maybe a few other dorms, it is nice to have a bus pass. The dorm that you need a bus pass for is Brody. It’s really far from everything and is mostly a freshman dorm. 12345 Transportation Report

Anonymous says:

The bus system is pretty good.... The bus system is pretty good. When you live on campus, there are buses that run really late on the weekends so that you don’t have to walk home in the cold or walk far to get home from parties and stuff. 12345 Transportation Report

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