Even though MSU offers numerous paths along beautiful scenery, it takes roughly 45 minutes to get from one side of campus to the other on foot. Considering this, it makes sense why so many students prefer to cut that time in half by utilizing CATA’s free bus routes. Apps like Transit help students determine when their bus will arrive and help them better plan their time. As convenient as this seems, there is an issue: the traditional bus routes CATA runs do not operate on the weekends.
As college students, it’s common to go to football games, friend’s dorms or parties on the weekends that are further away. To get to these places, students would like to use the bus – but often, they have to wait excessive times for a bus to arrive. McKenzie Myers, a freshman and advertising management major, says using Transit is more of a frustration than a useful tool.
“I want to go to my friend’s dorm in Brody to meet them for lunch but every time I plan it out, the bus usually gets pushed back another hour,” said Macie Marshall, molecular biology and biochemistry major.
Some students say it’s Transit’s mistake while others say the bus is unreliable.
“When I am out on Grand River after a game day and going out, I do not want to walk 20 minutes but I end up having to since I don’t want to pay for Uber, the bus is never on time,” said Gabby Jonart, environmental science major.
Having such long wait times for buses forces students to consider alternative transportation methods, like paying for Ubers or Lyfts – which can be extremely expensive. On the CATA website, it states that: “Weekend service operates 9 a.m. until 2:30 a.m. Three fixed routes provide service every 30 minutes.” This seems to be in contrast to the typical student experience. When asked about this issue in 2022, CATA had only responded by reinforcing their statement on the time operation over the weekend.
Other students like Abigail Winkleman say that if you want an accurate response as to when the bus will arrive, you should text the CATA phone number.
The CATA website features ways to retrieve accurate and up-to-date information on bus routes. CATA has a “Transit Toolbox,” that provides the up-to-date phone number and other contact information for people to know who to contact about bus times.
“Locate the bus stop number located on the lower CATAnow sign at every permanent bus stop. Text your stop number to 76123. After about a minute, you will receive the next real-time arrival time for bus routes serving that stop. Message and data rates may apply.”
As frustrations persist, students are losing hope that they can reliably ride the buses to travel on the weekends.
