Bus system

Survival Guide to the Buses: Transportation is your best friend and worst enemy

Students should make sure they know which bus to board. They can use the bus apps that provided bus routes in order to reach their destination. If they are at FAR and want to reach the Quad, they should take the North and West buses. When returning, they should take the South and East. If students are uncertain as to which bus they should take, they should not be hesitant in asking the bus driver if the bus stops to their desired location.  Thus, buses can be an easy way of transportation once students learn how to use it.

1.    You can use the text message to track the bus. Look for the text message number for each station.
2.    Notice the hopper route.
3.   Notice N and S or E and W take you to opposite directions.
4.   Remember to pull the yellow line along the window to request the stop.
5. Always plan the route before the trip.·       Make sure you know the difference between North, South, East, and West. Just because you got on the Silver, doesn't mean you are headed the right way.
6. Get the Apps CU Transit and Stop Lite to show you what buses to take or what buses are approaching at your current location. It’s a great way to plan out your schedule ahead of time so you know just what time to catch the bus.
7. The Illini take you all around campus, however if you are trying to get somewhere quick it is not your best choice because it takes forever to get places.  Having a bike handy or using Zipcar are other viable options.
8.   If you live in the dorms FAR or PAR you will learn to take the teal or silver. They take you to the main locations that you will need to go as a freshman.
9.   Become familiar with stops like Transit Plaza, Illini Union, Gregory at Library, and Armory and Wright. Knowing the streets is important so you know where to catch the buses.
10. Don't be afraid to ask the bus drivers or other students about what bus to take before you take the wrong bus. Everyone is pretty understanding.  It will take a couple weeks to get used to everything.
11.   Make sure you are paying attention on the bus to your stop because you have to pull the line before you stop so the bus will stop. (It will keep going if somebody doesn't pull it; trust me it has happened to me.)
12. Sometimes the best ways to learn the bus system is to just get on different buses and see where they take you.  A safety note is to make sure you explore the buses while the sun is up. There is nothing fun about getting lost at night.
13.  The buses don't run as frequently on the weekends so plan to walk a lot or just wait for the next approaching bus coming about every 20 minutes.
14.   If you are trying to go to the mall or Walmart you should get on the Yellow North. Most likely you will have to catch that at the Transit Plaza because that bus does not run to every dorm.

                                                         Nia Green, Despina Hadjiagapiou, Sheng Jin, Yuqing Zhang