Use Sustainable Transportation

At Michigan State University, students, staff and faculty enjoy an expansive 5,200 acres of beautiful campus space every day. Whether you are traveling to campus from another corner of the state, or simply trying to make it to your 10:20 a.m. class on time, traveling the distance can get tricky. Thankfully, MSU has many convenient and sustainable transportation options for all.

 

Getting around on bike

MSU has been named a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists, with more than 70 percent of roads equipped with bike lanes and 20,000 bike parking spots that make travel on two wheels convenient and energy-efficient. Research has shown that ditching the car for a bike can save thousands of dollars yearly. Plus, it's great exercise!

Don’t have a working bike of your own? You can purchase new and used bikes, or service your current bike, at the MSU Bikes Service Center, located behind Bessey Hall. You can also visit self-service bike repair stations all over campus. Take a look at the MSU Bikes facilities map to find the station nearest you!

 A photo of a well-populated bike rack in front of a large tree full of fall colors.

Getting around by bus

The Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) bus system can be a welcome alternative to individual trips, and if you still want to bring your bike along, each bus is equipped with a bike rack for passenger use at no additional charge. While CATA offers bus routes exclusively for MSU, riders can also reach Okemos, Meridian Township and downtown Lansing with over 20 off-campus routes. Using the bus system also helps lower carbon emissions by reducing the number of individual vehicle trips on campus. On-campus bus service is free for students, faculty and staff. 

Students disembark from a CATA bus in the winter.

 

Getting around as a commuter

Looking to reduce the costs associated with your daily commute? CATA offers services for commuters that connect them to car and vanpooling resources, car sharing, non-emergency medical transportation and an Emergency Ride Home program. Ridesharing can also be organized through Enterprise’s Rideshare/Michivan program or by using Zipcar, a service that has partnered with MSU to provide access to nine vehicles around campus that can be reserved by registered students, faculty and staff. Joining a rideshare program like these and others can not only save energy and reduce your commute expenses, but can also give you time to sit back during your commute to read, sleep or just relax. 

 One white Ford Escape and one red Ford Escape are parked in front of the MSU Union by a Zipcar sign. Campus is snowy.

 

Getting around with MSU's green vehicles

MSU Transportation Services offers faculty and staff a handful of green vehicles available for rent by university departments to use for errands and events around campus. To reserve a vehicle, call the Transportation Services office. For those with their own electric vehicles, MSU has 13 charging stations around campus, including four in the south Spartan Stadium parking lot and one in the Kellogg Center parking ramp. 

Whatever way you choose to traverse our expansive campus, MSU is dedicated to making your commute easy and green.

A close-up of a person using one of MSU's electric car charging stations. The electric nozzle plugs into the car's charging port.

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