The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round...
By Ian Hanson
Taking the bus… whether you don’t have a car, spend too much on gas, prefer to bike, hate commuting, want to go green, want to spend more time outside, or even just like the experience, public transportation has a variety of benefits for everyone. The Twin Cities make it especially convenient for students, with high frequency routes, steep student discounts and routes that drop you off at nearly the front step of all three Metropolitan State locations across the Cities.
Metro Transit (www.metrotransit.com) services the entirety of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area from Anoka to Cottage Grove, and has many programs and promotions designed to encourage students to take advantage of the many different ways they can get you around town.
Go-To-College Pass
The Go-To College pass is the offer available to college students to get unlimited travel (not just to school and back) for $150 per semester. This is big savings from their regular fares and, of course, loads cheaper than the price of gas! It is available from the Student Life office and is only sold one week prior to the start of each semester.
If you missed the time-frame or want to try the pass out before taking the plunge, there are a lot of other ways to buy bus-fare that make it easier than carrying around small bills and quarters. The quickest and most flexible pass option is the Go-To card (a bit different than the Go-To-College pass) which is rechargeable, accepted on all busses & trains, and gives you an extra dollar credit for each $10 you store on the card. Check out www.metrotransit.org for more information on this pass, as well as their many other pass options.
Riding Metro Transit
So now it’s time to ride. It is easy to get to know the bus routes you will use.
The quickest way from A to B is to use the online Trip Planner (http://metrotransit.org/tripPlanner/Default.aspx). You input where you are, where you’re headed, what time it is and how far you’re willing to walk. In return, it gives you times, routes and maps.
If you like a map in your hands, you can request paper copies of route information from the Web site and here’s a great secret to get you started riding: you get two coupons for free rides when you request the New Rider Info Packet. All route maps are also available to download as PDF files. You can also get maps of the entire city so you can see all of the routes, connections and wide range of travel that is available.
If you’re already getting out and about on your bike, bring it along and go even farther. All busses and trains are equipped with bike racks that are easy and quick to use.
Taking the bus is a great step towards being greener, more active and even more productive. While riding, time can be used to read, plan, do homework or just relax. Whatever your commute, the bus provides a reliable, easy and inexpensive way to get to class and around town.