Transportation

Bicycles on Campus Top of page

Bicycles are a popular means of transportation around campus and there are many bike stands to accommodate parking. Unfortunately, Bikes for sale at the bike shop on Maynard Street Bike shop on Maynard Street there are also a lot of bike thieves, and any bicycle is fair game. As a precaution against theft get a case-hardened U-lock and sturdy chain and use them at all times.

Also, you are required to register your bike for $8.00 in the City Clerk's office on the second floor of City Hall

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) offers free bike registration at the beginning of each Fall term, generally during Festifall. You'll have to bring your bike, your MCard, and another form of ID with you. Contact DPS at (734) 763–3434 for more information. Registering your bike is important — if your bike is stolen and then recovered, the city will have the necessary information to make it easier for you to retrieve it.

For those interested in recreational cycling, a set of bike route maps for Washtenaw County is available at any Ann Arbor bike shop. Bicycle riders are required to obey all traffic signs (including one-way streets). More information is available on the UM Parking & Transportation website.

Night Transportation Top of page

In addition to the UM bus system and taxi cabs, the University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor provide several alternatives to walking alone at night from campus to your residence.

Ride Home

A free taxi service that provides transportation from the Shapiro Undergraduate Library on Central Campus or from the Duderstadt Center on North Campus to your residence. This service is only available after University buses have stopped running. To request a ride, contact library staff at the main reference desk.

Night Ride

run by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) and is a subsidized, low cost, shared nighttime cab service that travels within the Ann Arbor city limits. Each passenger pays a fixed rate of $5.00 regardless of distance traveled. Contact Night Ride for more information or to schedule a pick-up.

State Street Ride

Free after-hours taxi service from any UM building to the South State Street Commuter (Park and Ride) lot after buses have concluded daily service. To request a ride, phone Yellow Cab directly.

If no other option is available the Department of Public Safety will provide emergency transportation from campus to your residence. The transportation may be provided by a Police Officer, a Public Safety Officer or by Transportation Services staff in a marked vehicle. Though all requests for assistance are handled in as timely a manner as possible, high priority calls and/or a large number of requests for emergency escorts could lead to delays in service. To request an emergency escort call the Department of Public Safety at 734 763–1131. The Department of Public Safety is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Safety Tips From the Department of Public Safety

• Always travel in groups
• Look assertive and be aware of your surroundings
• Avoid secluded and poorly lit areas, esepcially shortcuts through parks, vacant lots, and other deserted areas.
• Keep keys accessible and ready to use when approaching your building or vehicle
• Trust your instincts

Ann Arbor Transit Authority (AATA) Top of page

Finding your way around Ann Arbor is made easy using the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority! AATA is our town's public transportation system and has a stop within a quarter mile of almost any point in Ann Arbor. You can't beat that! Each ride on an AATA bus costs $1.00 (but rides are FREE if you show your UM ID card), and monthly passes and tokens are also available for frequent passengers.

UM students most frequently use route #6 to Briarwood Mall which departs directly in front of the Michigan Union and route #16 to Meijer which departs from the Blake Transit Center or the corner of Thompson and Madison (near West Quad).

Tokens and bus passes are sold at the Michigan Union Ticket Office (MUTO) as well as the downtown AATA Blake Transit Center. For ride information call 734 996–0400. And if you'd like your own copy of the AATA Ride Guide, please pick one up on any AATA bus, at the Campus Information Centers located in the Michigan Union and the Pierpont Commons, at the Huetwell Visitor's Center in the Student Activities Building, or at the front desk of the Michigan League.

Happy Traveling!

Taxi Cabs Top of page

Cabs are a great way to get around Ann Arbor, but keep in mind that we are not a big city where you can hail a taxi at every corner. It is best to call at least one hour ahead in order to make sure that you arrive at your destination on time.

There are several options for reaching local cab companies available on the Ann Arbor Convention Visitor's Bureau's List.

No endorsement or recommendation of any company is implied. Any mentioned companies are provided merely as an information resource.

Parking in Ann Arbor Top of page

• Towed Vehicles
• Visitor Parking
• Permits
• Handicapped Parking
• Perils
• Violations
• Structures
• Meters

City of Ann Arbor has numerous meters and parking structures for use, and UM Parking Services is also happy to help. Some students and realtors also "rent" parking spaces around town. Look here for the Off Campus Parking Spaces for Rent.

Parking MetersTop

Gray parking meters belong to the City of Ann Arbor and are enforced Mondays through Saturdays between 8am and 6pm, except holidays. Maize and blue meters belong to the UM and have the same times of enforcement. The city has 1,513 metered curbside spaces in the downtown/campus areas and cost $1.00/hour. Most meters around Central Campus (Michigan Union area) are 2 hour meters. You can find some 4 hour meters on Madison Street between Packard and State. All city parking meters are enforced between 8:00am–6:00pm. Check the meter to see how long you have to pay for parking. All city meters are free on Sundays. You do want to be careful to feed your meters. An expired city meter parking ticket ranges between $10.00–$25.00 depending on when you pay it; an expired University meter parking ticket is $6.00–$25.00. If you have three unpaid city tickets, your car can be towed regardless of where it is parked.

For a small fee and a deposit, metered parking spaces can be reserved for private occasions such as weddings. Call 734 994–2707. Businesses can also temporarily reserve spaces for construction access or other needs.

At the Pierpont Commons, the Visitor Lot has metered parking. The meter machines are at the two ends of the Lot. Be sure to remember your parking space number! Change is available in the University of Michigan Credit Union (in the Pierpont Commons main floor).

Parking StructuresTop

Parking close to the U-M's Central Campus is very scarce. Visitors to the U-M and shoppers on South University need extra time and patience in order to find a convenient space. However, the big William-Fourth Avenue and Ann-Ashley structures in downtown Ann Arbor are rarely filled, and they're only about a ten minutes' walk from campus.

Spaces in parking structures cost .80 an hour. Lot parking costs $1 an hour for the first three hours, and $1.10/hour after that. (Their are plans to increase these rates every fall for the next few years, to pay for repairs to the structures.) Hours of operation are posted at each facility. Typical hours are Monday–Saturday, 7am–3am. Parking in all structures is free on Sundays.

The above information was taken from ArborWeb

Parking ViolationsTop

The fine for an expired meter is $10 if payment is received by end of next business day. $15 if paid within 14 days. Fine amounts increase after 14 days. You must respond on or before 14 days from the date the citation was issued. Failure to respond will result in a default judgment against you and additional costs. Other penalties, including additional fines and auto impoundment are invoked if a driver has four or more unpaid tickets in default. Fines for most other parking violations are $25 if paid within 14 days. The fine is $100 for parking in a handicapped-parking zone. Violating city snow-removal parking decrees brings a fine of $125.

Three ways to pay parking tickets: By mail to address on ticket; By web at www.a2gov.org; or By 24-hour drop box at Police desk or drive-thru drop box at City Hall.

If you wish to deny responsibility or admit responsibility with an explanation, tickets can be appealed to the Parking Violations Referee in person, by mail, or web. The referee will investigate the claim and issue a ruling. For information on how to contest a citation call 734 994–9172.

Parking PerilsTop

Ann Arbor enforces its parking laws aggressively, so it pays to be aware of a few perils of the local system. Backing cars into the spaces in lots or structures is not allowed. It is illegal to park at a meter longer than the number of hours the meter is set to measure. In the central business district, parking is not allowed between 3am–6am, to allow for street cleaning. Straddling two street parking spaces or parking on the dividing line in a parking lot can earn a ticket. You may also be ticketed if you park more than 12 inches from the curb, or if you park fewer than four feet from a curb cut. As noted above, the city regularly tows and impounds cars whose drivers have four or more parking tickets in default. Cars that appear to be abandoned may be tagged with a towing sticker: if they aren't moved within 48 hours, they may be towed and impounded.

Handicapped ParkingTop

Handicapped parking spaces in public and private lots are set aside for use only by vehicles with handicapped permits or license plates. These spaces are usually marked with the symbol of a person in a wheelchair. As of May 1, 1996, meter fees must be paid even by those with handicapped status. A secondary sticker is required to avoid paying meters. Documentation of physical inability to pay is required.

The Michigan Secretary of State issues handicapped permits and license plates for the permanently disabled. An application must be completed by the handicapped in dividual's physician. Applications are available at the Secretary of State office.

The city issues a temporary handicapped sticker of its own. It's available at the city clerk's office on the second floor of City Hall and requires a physician's statement certifying disability. The sticker is valid only within the city limits and is not recognized by the UM, even in its hospital lots. City personnel advise acquiring the state permit instead.

Parking PermitsTop

Parking permits allow all-day parking in specific lots and structures in the city system, although they do not guarantee the availability of parking spaces. Monthly permits in downtown parking structures cost $105/month. Premium permits, available at some structures, guarantee a reserved, ground floor parking space for $150/month. Permits are also available for the surface lot at First & William for $80/month. Permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis; or monthly permit information, call Joan Lyke at the DDA Office, 734 997–1310.

University Visitor ParkingTop

University parking facilities are identified by marquee signs posted at the entrance of each lot and structure. They indicate the location number, parking tier (see below), permits required, and enforcement hours. If visitor parking is permitted, this will be indicated also. The UM has metered visitor spaces spread throughout all the campuses. The UM meter rate is $0.80 an hour. On central campus, a good place to search for short-term parking is at the metered visitor lot adjacent to the Thompson Street parking structure. There are also visitor meters available in the Ingalls Building parking lot (corner of Ingalls and Kingsley).

University police patrol the parking system and issue parking citations, payable to the City of Ann Arbor. Under contract with the University, the city handles all appeals and payment for University parking citations. Tickets issued at UM meters are $6 if received by end of next business day. $10 if paid within 14 days. The fee increases to $15 after 14 days. Parking citations issued to non-permit holders in University faculty/staff parking areas are $20. The fee increases to $25 after 14 days. Handicapped space violations are $100.

Towed VehiclesTop

If your vehicle does get towed, you'll need to contact the Ann Arbor Police Department to find out where your vehicle has been towed. The number is 734 994–2875

For the most current information, please visit the Downtown Development Authority(DDA) website.

Amtrak Top of page

Amtrak is a national train operation with many stops, also in Canada. Many students, faculty and staff will take the train to Chicago rather than drive. The train station is on Depot Street (see directions below) about a mile away from the Michigan Union on Central Campus and about 2 miles from North Campus. Trains operate 24 hours a day and many cabs wait for passengers in case a ride is needed. Amtrak recommends that you call their toll free number (800 872–7245) for route and price information.

Car Rental Companies Top of page

Sometimes you want a car to get around town. Here are some local options available to you.

Detroit Metro International Airport (DTW) Top of page

The Ann Arbor campus is very lucky to be placed in close proximity to the Detroit Metropolitan International Airport, a Greyhound Bus Terminal as well as an Amtrak Station.

Detroit Metropolitan International Airport is only 20 miles from Ann Arbor, about a 45 minute drive (at the most). Remember though, the airlines suggest arriving at least 2 hours before your flight! Major hubs are: Northwest, Delta, and US Air among others. For more information, call 734 AIR–PORT(247–7678).

The cheapest way to travel back and forth from the airport is to use MSA's airBus service. They pick up in 3 locations around campus and you can pay by cash, check, or charge it to your student account. Tickets are sold at MUTO, the Michigan Union Ticket Office. A reserved seat is $8 one-way or $13 round-trip. Non-reserved seats are sold on a first come, first serve basis and cost $10 each way. Note that this shuttle only runs prior to scheduled UM school breaks.

Another option is the Michigan Flyer, bus service available from Ann Arbor to the airport seven days a week. There are seven trips to the airport each day, starting from the Four Points by Sheraton main entrance. Reservations for the $15 trip should be made in advance. You can park you car at the Sheraton for $2.00/day (advance reservation required) or take the AATA Route #36 bus directly to the Sheraton.

Finally, the Ann Arbor Convention Visitor's Bureau maintains a listing of airport shuttle options.

No endorsement or recommendation of any of the above companies is implied. They are provided merely as an information resource.

Greyhound Bus Travel Top of page

For those of you who prefer traveling on the road instead of flying, Greyhound bus service may be just what you are looking for.

The Greyhound station offers travel service to cities around the country; for schedules and information, please contact Greyhound directly.

The Ann Arbor terminal is one block east of Main Street, approximately one mile from Central Campus and three miles from North Campus.