City Guide
Buses
Ann Arbor Bus Depot
116 W. Huron [map]662-5511. Fares and schedules: (800) 231-2222
Ann Arbor Bus Depot, 116 W. Huron. 662-5511. Fares and schedules: (800) 231-2222. Tickets sold at depot Mon., Thur., Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tue. & Wed. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 1:30-4:30 p.m. Depot closed holidays (tickets must be purchased in advance). Greyhound Bus Lines provides service throughout the United States and to some locations in Canada. Call for schedules. The depot accepts all major credit cards but no personal checks. One-way fare to Detroit is $9 Mon.-Thurs. and $11 Fri.-Sun.; round trip is $17.50 Mon.-Thurs. and $20 Fri.-Sun. One-way fare to Chicago is $35 Mon.-Thurs. and $38.50 Fri.-Sun.; round trip is $67 Mon.-Thurs. and $73.50 Fri.-Sun. www.greyhound.com
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA)
AATA headquarters, 2700 South Industrial. 973-6500. Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Blake Transit Center, 331 S. Fourth Ave. Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sat. noon-6:15 p.m.
Buses run along 18 Ann Arbor routes, four routes within Ypsilanti, and five routes between the two cities. Service hours for most routes are Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-10:45 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
There is no bus service on Jan. 1, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Dec. 25. Buses stop running 7 p.m. Dec. 24 & 31. Reduced service on some routes between Dec. 25 & Jan. 1.
Fare is $1.25. Transfers are free and valid for 90 minutes but cannot be used to return on the same route. Children age 5 & under ride free. Students in grades K-12 ride for half fare. Free passes for afternoon AATA rides are available to high school students whose schedules prevent them from taking the school bus home.
AATA buses are accessible to persons with disabilities. Each is equipped with a ramp to accommodate two wheelchair users.
AATA has three kinds of reduced fare cards.Apply at AATA headquarters, Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. A-Ride cards are for people who are eligible under ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Senior cards are for people age 65 & over. Fare Deal cards are for people ages 60-64, those who have disabilities but do not qualify under ADA, and eligible low-income persons (call 973-6500 to determine eligibility). A-Ride and Senior cards allow holders to ride the bus free. Fare Deal cardholders ride for 60˘.
Thirty-day unlimited-ride passes ($48) can be purchased at the Blake Transit Center, AATA's main office, Michigan Union, and Campus Book & Supply. Passes are $24 for K-12 students and holders of Fare Deal cards.
The Link circulator bus provides free service between the Main St., Kerrytown, State St., and South University areas and the U-M Central Campus and Oxford/Trotter housing areas. The Link operates from the last Sun. in Aug. through the last Fri. in Apr., Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Buses run every 15 minutes.
To get real-time information on bus locations, consult RideTrak at www.theride.org (click on Routes & Schedules) or through a web-enabled mobile phone or PDA at mobile.theride.org.
The MRide program allows U-M faculty, staff, and students to ride regularly scheduled AATA buses free with an Mcard ID.
Free park-and-ride lots are at Green Rd. near Baxter, Pioneer High School, Miller Rd. at M-14, and State St. north of Eisenhower. From these lots, buses run downtown and to all U-M campuses.
Football Ride: Service from area hotels and parking lots to Michigan Stadium on home football Sat. AATA routes 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, & 16 are detoured on football Sat. Regular fares apply.
During the Ann Arbor Art Fairs in July, AATA Art Fair shuttles operate from Briarwood mall and Pioneer High School to two stops near the fairs. Regular fares apply.
Shared-ride program for holders of A-Ride or Senior cards uses lift- or ramp-equipped vans or cabs. For A-Ride, door-to-door service for any location within 3⁄4 mile of any fixed route; reserve up to two weeks in advance. For seniors, service within city limits only, plus hospitals and other locations; reserve up to a week in advance. For both programs, fare $2 for an advanced reservation, $3 for a same-day trip; operates Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-10:45 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Senior Ride provides weekly group trips, 60˘ each way, to grocery stores and from select senior housing complexes.
Night Ride. 528-5432. Mon.-Fri. 11 p.m.-5:30 a.m., Sat. & Sun. 7 p.m.-7 a.m. Shared-ride program, open to all, uses either a lift-equipped van or a cab. Service within city limits. Request pickup by phone; response time is 5-45 minutes. $5/person, regardless of destination; Senior and A-Ride cardholders $2.50; one child age 5 or under can ride free per paid fare.
Holiday Ride operates the same way as Night Ride 6 a.m.-11 p.m. holidays and 7-11 p.m. Dec. 24 & 31.
The Night Ride Shuttle is a late-night van-service pilot program. Buses leave from Link bus stop D (Liberty near Fourth Ave.) at 11:15 p.m., midnight, 12:45 a.m., & 1:30 a.m. They go to the Pioneer High School park & ride lot and anywhere in an area west of Main Street and bounded by Scio Church Rd., I-94, and M-14. Free; no reservation needed. Check www.theride.org or call 996-0400 for details.
A2-Chelsea Express: AATA contracts with Indian Trails to provide a weekday commuter bus service between Chelsea and Ann Arbor. Buses leave the Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea at 6:10 & 7:16 a.m.; return trips begin from Huron & Fletcher at 3:44 & 5:12 p.m. Additional stops in Ann Arbor and other details on www.theride.org. Fare $125/month, in advance.
Related Topics:
Megabus.com
U-M Park and Ride lot, 2678 S. State(877) 462-6342
Buses run from State St. commuter lot (north of Eisenhower) to Chicago, 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 5 p.m., & 7;30 p.m., daily. From Chicago, service is available to 16 other cities. Ticket prices vary, starting at $1, and increasing as bus seats fill up. Call for reservations or book online at www.megabus.com
Michigan Flyer
3200 Boardwalk (a the Four Points by Sheraton, front entrance) [map](888) 643-5937 or (517) 333-0400
Luxury bus runs eight times daily to and from Detroit Metro Airport, Jackson, and East Lansing. $15/person if prepaid; or $20/person cash to the driver. On-board wireless Internet, radio, and TV. Advanced reservations recommended. Departures to East Lansing must be reserved in advance. Limited parking $2 a day; see website to reserve parking. AATA bus route 36 stops near the Sheraton. Call for reservations or book online at www.michiganflyer.com/annarbor.html.
People’s Express
678-3935 (bus driver, call for pick-up) or 877-214-6073 (business office)
Flex bus leaves Scio Farms Estates hourly Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. and runs on Jackson Rd., with stops at Lakestone Apartments, Meijer, and the AATA route 9 bus stop at Jackson and Wagner. Fare is 50˘; slight detours off route additional 50˘.
U-M Bus System
Call 764-3427. All route service is free to the public, no pass required. The main bus stop for all routes is on Central Campus, at the large turnouts on either side of Geddes next to the Museum of Natural History and the C. C. Little Bldg. Current route maps and timetables are available at www.pts.umich.edu. "Magic Bus is a real-time GPS system for tracking exact locations of all U-M buses, http://mbus.pts.umich.edu/.
The commuter route runs at 10-minute intervals, serving commuter parking lots. Starting at the Crisler Arena parking lot, the route travels north through the Athletic Campus and on to Central Campus, the Medical Campus, and North Campus. Southbound, the route starts from the Glazier Way commuter lot, passing most of the same stops. Service Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.-1 a.m. (15-minute intervals after 7:30 p.m.). Buses do not operate during U-M academic calendar holiday periods.
Bursley-Baits buses connect Bursley Hall and Baits Housing on North Campus with the Medical Campus and the main bus stop on Central Campus. Northwood buses connect the U-M’s family housing with the Medical Campus and the main bus stop on Central Campus while also providing service to various North Campus classroom buildings and lots. Runs Sept.-May weekdays at 10-minute intervals 6:35 a.m.-6:35 p.m., and at 15-minute intervals 6:35 a.m.-11:55 p.m.
The North Campus route is a combination of the Bursley-Baits and Northwood routes and provides late-night and weekend service to North Campus residential areas and classroom buildings; these buses run weekdays 12:20 a.m.-2:40 a.m. (On weekends, service is at 15-20-minute intervals, 8:25 a.m.-3 a.m.)
For winter holiday recess service information and for May-Aug. schedules, call 764-3427.
U-M Campus Transportation Information Center
764-3427
Provides information about bicycles on campus, night transportation options, parking services, services for students with disabilities, and U-M bus routes, as well as general information about AATA, city parking, and taxi cabs.
www.umich.edu/~info/transportation.html
