City Guide
Buses
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA)
All of TheRide's buses are equipped with ramps and can accommodate two wheelchair users.
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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.- Thurs. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 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 $11 Mon.-Thurs. and $13.50 Fri.-Sun.; round trip is $22 Mon.-Thurs. and $25 Fri.-Sun. One-way fare to Chicago is $38 Mon.-Thurs. and $41.50 Fri.-Sun.; round trip is $73 Mon.-Thurs. and $79.50 Fri.-Sun. greyhound.com
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (TheRide)
For information on routes, schedules, and discount fares, call 996-0400 or see theride.org. To get real-time information on bus locations, consult Ridetrak at theride.org (click on Routes & Schedules) or through a web-enabled mobile phone or PDA at mobile.theride.org
TheRide's main office, 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 17 Ann Arbor routes, 4 routes within Ypsilanti, and 5 routes between. 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. All of TheRide's buses are accessible to persons with disabilities. Each is equipped with a ramp and accommodates 2 wheelchair users; there is also a bike rack in front that can carry 2 bikes.
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 $1.50. 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.
The MRide program allows U-M faculty, staff, and students to ride regularly scheduled TheRide buses free with a valid yellow MCard ID.
TheRide offers 3 kinds of reduced fare cards. Apply at TheRide's main office, Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. A-Ride cards are for people who are eligible under the 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 with a Medicare card, and eligible low-income persons with a Medicaid card (call 973-6500 to determine eligibility). A-Ride and Senior cards allow holders to ride the bus free. Fare Deal cardholders ride for 75-.
Thirty-day unlimited-ride passes ($58) can be purchased at the Blake Transit Center, TheRide's main office, Michigan Union, and Campus Book & Supply. Passes are $29 for K-12 students and holders of Fare Deal cards.
Free park-and-ride lots are at Plymouth Rd. and U.S. 23, 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. Routes 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, & 16 are detoured on football Sat. Regular fares apply.
During the Ann Arbor Art Fairs in July, TheRide operates Art Fair shuttles from Briarwood mall and Pioneer High School to 2 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 a week in advance. For seniors, service within city limits, plus hospitals and other locations; reserve up to a week in advance. For both programs, fare $3 for an advanced reservation, $4 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, 75- 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 and east to Golfside between Clark and Ellsworth in Pittsfield Township. 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.
A2 Express: TheRide operates a weekday commuter bus service between Chelsea and Ann Arbor and Canton and Ann Arbor. Fares: $99/month, in advance. A 10-ride ticket is available for $40, or riders can pay $5 cash per ride. Details on stops in Ann Arbor, times, and schedules on theride.org.
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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 18 other cities. Ticket prices vary, starting at $1, and increasing as bus seats fill up. Call for reservations or book online at megabus.com
Michigan Flyer
3200 Boardwalk (at Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel, front entrance) [map](888) 643-5937 or (517) 333-0400
Runs 7 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. Advance reservations recommended; mandatory to East Lansing. Parking $2 a day; see website to reserve. AATA bus route 36 stops near the Sheraton. Call for reservations or book online at michiganflyer.com.
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 Central Campus Transit Center on N. University Ave. adjacent to the C. C. Little Bldg. and across the street from the Museum of Natural History. Current route maps and timetables are available at pts.umich.edu. Magic Bus is a real-time GPS system for tracking exact locations of all U-M buses (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.-1:30 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 Geddes. Northwood buses connect the U-M’s family housing with the Medical Campus and the Central Campus Transit Center while also servicing various North Campus classroom buildings and lots. Runs Sept.-May weekdays at 10-minute intervals 6:50 a.m.-6:35 p.m., and at 15-minute intervals 6:35 p.m.-12:10 a.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.-3 a.m. (On weekends, service is at 15-20-minute intervals, 8:30 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 TheRide, city parking, and taxi cabs. pts.umich.edu
