Capital Area Transportation Authority
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Capital Area Transportation Authority | |
 |
|
| Locale | Lansing, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Transit type | Bus |
| Began operation | 1972 |
| No. of lines | 33 |
| Daily ridership | 57,300[1] 37,800 weekday |
| Operator(s) | Capital Area Transportation Authority |
The Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) provides mass transit bus service and paratransit within the metro Lansing, Michigan area (the Michigan capital) including Michigan State University.
Contents |
[edit] CATA system
CATA operates both bus transit and paratransit service across a 600-square-mile (1,600 km²) area throughout metro Lansing including Michigan State University. As of 2007 CATA boasts the third highest ridership of any transit system in the state of Michigan, with a total ridership of 10,682,792[2], a slight increase from the 10,031,082 in 2006.
CATA has approximately 300 employees. It does not operate on these seven major holidays:
- New Years Day
- Easter
- Memorial Day
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
[edit] Bus service
Referred to as "fixed route service", CATA's standard bus service operates on thirty-three routes with both rigid 40 ft (12 m) and articulated 60 ft (18 m) buses. Most of these are low floor buses manufactured by New Flyer, however a few older high floor GM Rapid Transit Series remain in the fleet. The bus service hub is at the CATA Transportation Center (CTC) in downtown Lansing, with a satellite hub on the MSU campus (see below). In August of 2006, CATA added the first three hybrid electric buses to its fleet (New Flyer DE40LFR); making CATA the first company in Michigan to operate hybrid buses. Since then it has continued to purchase more, including articulated hybrid models.
Fixed route buses use a GPS-based system manufactured by Luminator USA that periodically plays a voice-recording of the bus's location over the loudspeakers. This is particularly useful to the visually-impaired and users who are unfamiliar with the area. All buses are also equipped with fold-out ramps for users in wheelchairs.
CATA operates a satellite hub, called the MSU/CATA Transportation Center, on the Michigan State University campus. This center serves as a hub for CATA's MSU-based routes; it also consists of a large public parking ramp. Many of the MSU-area routes are called "Spartan Service" - this means that the route only operates during the MSU fall and spring semesters. This includes all routes numbered 30-36, Lot Link and Night Owl. Other routes (routes #1, 25 and 26) are partially Spartan Service, that is, they run more frequently and/or longer into the night during the semesters.
CATA significantly altered its intra-campus (routes 30-39) Spartan Service bus routes serving Michigan State University beginning Fall 2007. Changes include having the same bus serve both the Commuter Lot and Spartan Village, adding Spartan Service to the newly re-opened University Village Apartments, extending fixed route weekend and weeknight service to the Commuter Lot, and adding an additional fixed route for weekend and weeknight service; in the process, routes 37 and 38, the previous night/weekend routes, have been eliminated and replaced with the new routes 34-36 for weekday night and weekend service on campus. The weekday daytime routes, 30-33, were considerably altered as well. These changes are in effect due to major construction on Farm Ln., which is being rebuilt for widening and to bypass the frequently-served train tracks. The construction project will not be completed for several years.
[edit] Paratransit
CATA operates several paratransit services using small buses and mini vans. One service, Spec-Tran, is offered to persons with disabilities who are unable to use fixed route service. The "Night Owl", offers rides across the MSU campus every night from 2 am to 7 am (9 am on weekends) in order to give students a safer way to traverse campus at these hours.
[edit] Fixed routes
- Route categories
- Routes 1-19 are Lansing area routes
- Routes 20-26 are east area routes (East Lansing, Okemos, Haslett)
- Routes 30-36 are MSU area routes and all are entirely Spartan Service (i.e. they only run during MSU fall and spring semesters - these are marked "Entire route" under the "Spartan Service" column)
- Routes 46 & 48 are limited stop commuter routes
- "(Limited)" indicates that the route only stops at certain points
- "(Trolley)" indicates that the route is run using trolley-style buses. Bicycles cannot be brought on this route.
- All CATA bus routes are wheelchair accessible
.
| Route Name | Starting Point | Terminus | Operates | Spartan Service | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1
Downtown Lansing-Meridian Mall |
CATA Transportation Center | Meridian Mall | Daily | Extended weekend night hours | Bi-Directional |
| #2
South Washington-Pleasant Grove |
CATA Transportation Center | Sheffield & Bayview | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #3
Willow-Lansing Mall |
CATA Transportation Center | Lansing Mall | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #4
Entertainment Express (Limited) (Trolley) |
Washington & Washtenaw | Albert & MAC | Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights | No | Bi-Directional |
| #5
South Cedar-Edgewood |
CATA Transportation Center | Meijer on South Pennsylvania | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| Edgewood Shuttle | Meijer on South Pennsylvania | Edgewood Villas | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #6
Cedar-Jolly Connection |
CATA Administrative Offices | Jolly Cedar Plaza (Social Security Administration on request) | Weekdays | No | Bi-Directional |
| #7
Aurelius |
CATA Transportation Center | Beau Jardin & Dunckel | Weekdays | No | Bi-Directional |
| #8
Pennsylvania-Holt |
CATA Transportation Center | Davlind & Aurelius | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #9
South Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.-Miller |
CATA Transportation Center | Meijer on South Pennsylvania | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #10
North Lansing-Turner |
CATA Transportation Center | Thomas & Hall | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #11
Waverly-Colonial Village |
CATA Transportation Center | Deerfield & Holmes | Weekdays | No | Bi-Directional |
| #12
West Michigan-Waverly |
CATA Transportation Center | Value City | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #13
Groesbeck Area |
CATA Transportation Center | Meijer on Lake Lansing | Weekdays | No | Bi-Directional |
| #14
North Grand River-Airport |
CATA Transportation Center | Grand River & Waverly | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #15
Kalamazoo-Frandor |
CATA Transportation Center | Meijer on Lake Lansing | Weekdays | No | Bi-Directional |
| #16
W. Lake Lansing Road-Eastwood Towne Center |
CATA Transportation Center | Meijer on Lake Lansing | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #19
Delhi Loop |
Holt High School | Willoughby & Cedar | Weekday Rush Hours | No | AM: Clockwise Loop
PM: Counterclockwise Loop |
| #20
South Harrison-Jolly-Dunckel |
Shaw & Farm Boarding Area | Beau Jardin & Dunckel | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #22
MSU-Haslett-Meridian Mall |
Shaw & Farm Boarding Area | Meridian Mall | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #23
MSU-Okemos-Meridian Mall |
Shaw & Farm Boarding Area | Meridian Mall | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #24
East Lansing-Lake Lansing Road |
Wharton Center (Bogue Street) | Meijer on Lake Lansing | Daily | No | Bi-Directional |
| #25
North Harrison |
Wharton Center (Bogue Street) | Meijer on Lake Lansing | Daily | Weekdays: Runs more frequently
Weekends: No |
Bi-Directional |
| #26
Abbott-Chandler |
MSU-CTC/Ramp 1 | Crossing Place Apartments | Daily | Weekdays: Runs more frequently & extended night hours Saturday: Extended night hours Sunday: No |
Bi-Directional |
| #26 Late Night
Abbott-Chandler Late Night |
Crossing Place Apartments | Albert & MAC | Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Nights | Entire route | Bi-Directional |
| #30
Wilson-Akers |
Matilda Wilson Hall | Forrest Akers Hall | Weekdays | Entire route | Bi-Directional |
| #31
Brody-Hubbard |
Brody Dormitory | Bela Hubbard Hall | Weekdays | Entire route | Bi-Directional |
| #32A/32B
Commuter Lot-Spartan Village Commuter Lot-MSU CTC |
MSU-CTC/Ramp 1 | Spartan Village | Weekdays | Entire route | Bi-Directional |
| #33
Campus Cruiser |
Lynne Holden Hall | MSU Union | Weekdays | Entire route | Counterclockwise Loop |
| #34
Brody-University Village |
MSU-CTC/Ramp 1 | Brody Dormitory | Weekday nights & weekends | Entire route | Counterclockwise Loop |
| #35
Spartan Village-Commuter Lot |
MSU-CTC/Ramp 1 | Commuter Lot | Weekday nights & weekends | Entire route | Bi-Directional |
| #36
Akers-Hubbard |
MSU-CTC/Ramp 1 | Bela Hubbard Hall | Weekday nights & weekends | Entire route | Counterclockwise Loop |
| #46
Mason (Limited) |
CATA Transportation Center | Cedar & Kerns | Weekday Rush Hours | No | Peak Direction |
| #48
Williamston-Webberville (Limited) |
CATA Transportation Center | M-52 & I-96 (at McDonald's) | Weekday Rush Hours | No | Peak Direction |
[edit] Fares
CATA offers a variety of payment methods and fares.
[edit] Cash and CATACash
Riders paying by cash use the following fare structure for each one-way trip. All transfers from one route to another are free and valid up to 2 hours. Transfer may not be used to make a return trip.
- Seniors, disabled, all Medicare card holders, and students: US$0.60
- Children under 42 inches (1,100 mm) tall: Free
- All others: US$1.25
CATACash cards are issued through the farebox as change during cash transactions.
[edit] Tokens
Riders may use one CATA token for a one-way trip; again, transfers to another route are free. Tokens may be purchased in sets of 10 for US$8.50 at various retail outlets around the area. They cannot be purchased on board buses.
[edit] Passes
Various bus passes are available that may be used on any numbered route (except commuter lot pass). They may be purchased at various retail outlets in the area or online at CATA's website. There are also passes for paratransit services such as CATA Rural Service and Spec-Tran.
- 10-Ride Pass: US$8.50 (US$5.00 for seniors, disabled, Medicare card holders, and students)
- 31-Day Pass (unlimited rides for 31 days): US$30.00 (US$14.00 for seniors, disabled, Medicare card holders, and students)
- Student Semester Pass (unlimited rides for one semester, for students only): US$45.00
- MSU Communter Lot Pass (unlimited rides on Route 32 only): US$16.50 for one semester, US$27.50 for two semesters
[edit] Bicycles on CATA
Bicycle racks are installed on the front of all CATA buses, except the trolley-style busses. Each bus can accommodate up to two bicycles. Non-safety bicycles, such recumbents and tandems, are not allowed.
CATA also rents out bike lockers located in downtown Lansing, East Lansing, and LCC.
[edit] Governance
CATA is governed by a board of directors:
- Three members representing the City of Lansing:
- Pete Kuhnmuench (Vice-chair)
- R. John Strolle
- Dirck Terwilliger
- Two members representing the City of East Lansing:
- Ralph Monsma
- Jean Golden
- Two members representing Meridian Township:
- Patricia Munshaw (Board chair)
- Pat Cannon
- One member representing Lansing Township:
- Joseph Sambaer (Secretary-Treasurer)
- One member representing Delhi Township:
- Walter Dell
- One non-voting member representing Ingham County:
- One non-voting member representing Michigan State University:
- Michael A. Rice
[edit] Awards
CATA won APTA's America's Best Transit System award for 1991 in the medium-size category, and again for 2007 in the 4-30 million annual passenger trips category. In 2003, Sandy Draggoo, CATA's executive director, received the APTA Outstanding Public Transportation Manager in North America award.
[edit] Bus fleet
| Series | Model | Delivery | Length | Width | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300-? | GM Rapid Transit Series | ? | 40' | 102" | ? |
| 500-571 | New Flyer D40LF | ? | 40' | 102" | ? |
| 572-578 | New Flyer DE40LFR | 2006-2007 | 40' | 102" | 7 |
| 6000-6006 | New Flyer D60LF | 2003-2005 | 60' | 102" | 7 |
| 6007-6009 | New Flyer DE60LFR | 2007 | 60' | 102" | 3 |
[edit] References
- 2006 CATA Community Report
- Lansing State Journal: CATA logs 10 million riders over year
- Lansing State Journal: 'Little ol' farm girl' wins transit award
- Archive.org repository of CATA website since 1996
[edit] External links
- Capital Area Transportation Authority - official site.
