Blog
Get the inside scoop about life at U-M and applying to Michigan from current student bloggers, Admissions staff, and guest faculty writers.
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Michigan is so big! How we get around
To say the University of Michigan is big is an understatement. With over one hundred University buildings, 30,000 undergraduate students, and 15,000 graduate students – as well as faculty, staff, and medical professionals– the university is a very populated place.
How do all of these people get to and from where they need to be?
Walking
Not only is walking a great form of exercise, but it’s always free! Walking also gives you a chance to be in the fresh air.
Don’t worry about snow-covered sidewalks during the winter. Amazing heroes (aka the Michigan Logistics, Transportation & Parking team) are so great about making sure the sidewalks are cleared, de-iced, and salted at all times of day, on every day of the week.
Taking a bus
Hop on, hop off. It’s as easy as that. There’s no need to swipe your MCard or pay any fees. If you’re going from class to class, chances are there is a bus that can get you there. Getting from North to Central Campus is a quick 10-15 minute ride and you can take Bursley-Baits, Commuter South, Northwood, Northwood Express, or Diag to Diag. You can also use the DoubleMap Bus app or the Michigan app to track buses in real time!
With Ann Arbor Ride, the City of Ann Arbor’s public bus system, you can get to just about anywhere in the entire city of Ann Arbor, on or off campus! There are even buses that will take you into neighboring Ypsilanti, in case you’re craving some Chick-Fil-A.
Heading home for break by plane? Consider taking the CSG Airbus or the Michigan Flyer. Both services offer discounted tickets on buses that travel to Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW). Not only will this save you money, you can take the bus with friends and get picked up right on campus!
CSG Airbus will pick you up from multiple locations on campus, including North Campus. Michigan Flyer will pick you up straight from the CCTC, the biggest bus stop on Central Campus.
Bicycle
With bike racks scattered all over campus, you’ll have no problem riding your bike (if that’s your preference). Check out U-M’s bicycle parking map to help you find places on campus to park your bike. And don’t worry about buying a tire pump to bring to campus. There’s a pump at the CCTC and the Michigan libraries will let you check one out, all for free.
Skateboards, roller blades, and unicycle
Get creative! It might be hard to believe, but I have seen all of these methods of transportation on campus. Wolverines do what we need to do (within the law) to get ourselves from point A to point B. Check out the Michigan Free or For Sale Facebook page for some really amazing deals on bikes (and textbooks and clothes too!).
Getting around at night
With free services like SafeRide, you can make sure you get home safely during the night. SafeRide operates from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. for free, and will take you to any dorm or house that is within one mile of campus. Just call the number, hop in the van, and get home safe and warm!
Need some more help?
If you have a mobility impairment, either short term or a long term, Michigan has got you covered. You can work with the friendly people at Services for Students with Disabilities, and get set up with Paratransit so that you can get around to all of your classes, meetings, and work.
Lisa Kim
is a recent graduate of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, where she majored in computer science and minored in multidisciplinary design. Lisa is a big fan of doing face masks, reading thrillers, and listening to electronic music, and you can probably find her doing one of those three things now.