Capital Area Transportation Authority
Founded1972
Headquarters4615 Tranter Street
LocaleLansing, Michigan
Service typebus service, express bus service, paratransit
Routes32
Stops1,350
HubsCATA Transportation Center (CTC)
MSU-CATA Transportation Center (MSU-CTC)
Fleet122 buses
52 small buses
55 low floor vans
Daily ridership24,300 (weekdays, Q3 2023)[1]
Annual ridership5,874,100 (2022)[2]
Fuel typeDiesel
Diesel-electric hybrid
Chief executiveBradley T. Funkhouser, AICP
Websitecata.org

The Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) is the public transit operator serving the Lansing, Michigan area, including service on the campus of Michigan State University. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 5,874,100.[2]: 23 

History

CATA began service in 1972.[3] Its predecessor, Lansing Metro Lines, was privately owned and operated under a franchise from the city of Lansing. Poor ridership and increasing costs prompted a city buyout of Metro Lines in 1970, creating uncertainty about the future of bus service in the Lansing area.[4] CATA was organized as a regional authority in 1971.[5] By the end of its first year of service in 1972, the newly formed CATA had provided over 700,000 rides.[6]

CATA was the first transit system in the United States to operate electric buses, with the assistance of a grant from the Model Cities Program. Six electric buses entered service in May 1973, operating a loop through Downtown Lansing and the State Capitol at no charge. The electric buses were built by the Battronic Truck Company of Boyertown, Pennsylvania. The $136,000 (equivalent to $897,000 in 2022) purchase price of the buses was largely funded by the federal government.[7] CATA's electric buses were plagued by mechanical problems, and ridership declined after CATA began charging fares on the formerly free service.[8] The electric buses were withdrawn in September 1974, and were sold to an industrial parts supplier in Flint at a substantial discount.[9]

In 1999, Michigan State University discontinued its bus services, and CATA took over operations of bus service on campus. Fares were initially charged for these routes, before a 2019 pilot program led to a permanent removal of fares.[10]

CATA is a two-time winner of the APTA Outstanding Public Transportation System Award, in 1991 and 2007. This award recognizes CATA's excellence in customer service, safety, and management.[11][12]

In 2006, CATA became the first transit agency in Michigan to operate diesel-electric hybrid buses.[3] The system continued to exclusively buy hybrid buses through 2016, before returning to conventional diesel in 2019 as the first Michigan operator of the Nova Bus LFS.[13][14]

CATA significantly altered its intra-campus (routes 30–39) Spartan Service bus routes serving Michigan State University beginning Fall 2009. Changes include Routes 30 & 31 having extended weeknight hours, Routes 34-36 having service only on the weekends, and the creation of Route 39, linking University Village and Spartan Village to the main campus. As a result, both Routes 31 & 32 saw route changes as well. Since August 25, 2014, Route 31 no longer changes into Route 30 at East Neighborhood, and vice versa.

In August 2014, CATA introduced the CATAnow system to provide real-time bus departure information. Further developments in CATA's real-time bus tracking systems include a partnership with Transit App beginning in 2017.[15]

Michigan/Grand River Avenue Transportation Study

CATA partnered with metropolitan municipalities beginning in the summer of 2009 to study and evaluate transit improvements to Route 1, which runs from downtown Lansing to the Meridian Mall. Improvements being evaluated include enhancing the existing bus system, adding bike lanes, improving intersections, or upgrading the existing route from a bus line to a bus rapid transit line, light rail, or a modern streetcar line.[16] The CATA Board of Directors formally adopted bus rapid transit as the locally preferred alternative for the corridor on February 16, 2011. This authorized the transit to submit an application to be part of the Federal Transit Administration Small Starts program, which would provide substantial funding for the capital costs of construction this line. The proposal was moved to the FTA's project development phase in April 2013, which includes getting funding for an environmental review and design and engineering activities.[17] Citing a potential lack of federal funding for the project from the Trump administration, the authority's board voted in April 2017 to suspend the project until federal funding could be committed to the project.[18]

Operations

CATA operates scheduled fixed-route bus and paratransit services across a 559-square-mile (1,450 km2) area throughout Ingham County and portions of Eaton and Clinton counties.[3]

CATA has approximately 340 employees, of whom nearly 224 are bus operators.[19] In 2016, 46% of CATA's operating revenue came from local sources, another 30% from state sources, and 24% came from fares and additional sources.[20] In fiscal 2019, CATA logged 11,049,317 rides – an increase of 6.4 percent over the previous fiscal year.[19]

Fixed routes

CATA operates 32 bus routes with both rigid 40 ft (12 m) and articulated 60 ft (18 m) buses. The system's main hub is the CATA Transportation Center (CTC) in downtown Lansing, with a satellite hub, the MSU-CATA Transportation Center (MSU-CTC), at Michigan State University. CATA also operates the Capital Area Multimodal Gateway, the region's Amtrak station.

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 and 39, Lot Link and Night Owl. Other routes (routes 1, 23, 25 and 26) are partially Spartan Service, that is, they run more frequently and/or longer into the night during the semesters.

Current routes

Effective May 2023.[21]

  • Routes 1–18 are Lansing-area routes
  • Routes 20–26 are east-area routes (East Lansing, Okemos, Haslett)
  • Routes 30–39 are MSU-area routes and only run during MSU fall and spring semesters
  • Routes 46-48 are limited stop commuter routes, which make one trip daily in each direction during peak hours
# Route Name Termini Frequency (min) Notes
Mon-Fri Sat Sun
1 Downtown Lansing – Meridian Mall CTC Meridian Mall 15-20 10-20 15-20 additional Fri-Sat night service during MSU breaks
2 South Washington – Pleasant Grove CTC Sheffield & Bayview 30 30 30
3 Willow – Marketplace Blvd CTC Marketplace & Delta Market 20-30 30 30
5 South Cedar – Edgewood CTC Edgewood Villas 20-30 30 30
6 Cedar – Jolly Connection Jolly Cedar Plaza CATA Headquarters 20-30 - -
7 Aurelius – Miller CTC Beau Jardin & Dunckel 45 80 -
8 Pennsylvania – Holt CTC Davlind & Aurelius 30-45 30 30
9 South MLK – Miller CTC Meijer, S Pennsylvania Ave. 30 30 30
10 North Lansing – Turner CTC Thomas & Hall 25-50 45 45
11 Waverly – Colonial Village CTC Deerfield & Holmes 60 - -
12 West Michigan – Waverly – LCC West CTC LCC West Campus 30 45 45 truncated to St. Joseph + Waverly on weekends & during LCC breaks
13 Groesbeck Area CTC Lake Lansing Meijer 60 - -
14 North Grand River – Old Town – Airport CTC Capital Region Int'l Airport 25-45 45 45
15 Kalamazoo – Frandor CTC Meijer, Lake Lansing Rd. 60 - -
16 Old Town – W. Lake Lansing – Eastwood CTC Meijer, Lake Lansing Rd. 30 30 30
18 Capital City Crosstown Multimodal Gateway Mt. Hope + Boston Blvd. 45-60 - -
20 South Harrison – Jolly-Dunckel Shaw + Farm, MSU Beau Jardin & Dunckel 35 60 60
22 MSU – Haslett – Meridian Mall (to Meridian Mall)


Okemos – MSU (from Meridian Mall)

 Shaw + Farm, MSU Meridian Mall 35 60 -
23 MSU – Okemos – Meridian Mall (to Meridian Mall)


Haslett – MSU (from Meridian Mall)

 Shaw + Farm, MSU Meridian Mall 35 60 - more frequent service during MSU fall and winter semesters
24 East Lansing – Lake Lansing Road MSU-CTC Meijer, Lake Lansing Rd. 30 60 60
25 North Harrison MSU-CTC Meijer, Lake Lansing Rd. 60 60 60 more frequent service during MSU fall and winter semesters
26 Abbot – Chandler MSU-CTC Chandler Crossings 45 40 40 later and more frequent service during MSU fall and winter semesters
30 South & East Neighborhoods Holden & Wilson Halls, MSU East Campus Boarding Center, MSU - - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
31 Brody Complex & East Neighborhoods Brody Neighborhood East Campus Boarding Center, MSU - - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
32 Commuter Lot 89 – Snyder Hall – Clinical Center MSU-CTC Commuter Lot 89, MSU - - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
33 MSU Union – North & South Neighborhoods Holden & Wilson Halls, MSU MSU Union - - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
34 Brody – University Village MSU-CTC Brody Neighborhood - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
35 South Neighborhood – Spartan Village MSU-CTC Spartan Village - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
36 East Neighborhood MSU-CTC East Campus Boarding Center, MSU - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
38 Spartan Village Shaw + Farm, MSU Spartan Village - - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
39 University Village Shaw + Farm, MSU Spartan Village - - operates only during MSU fall and winter semesters
46 Mason Limited CTC Cedar & Kerns 1 trip daily - - weekday peak direction only
48 Williamston–Webberville Limited CTC M-52 & I-96 1 trip daily - - weekday peak direction only

Paratransit

CATA minibus

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.

Fares

CATA offers a variety of payment methods and fares.

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 two hours. Transfer may not be used to make a return trip; stopovers on issuing line is allowed. All routes are one zone fares.

  • Seniors, disabled, all Medicare card holders, and students: $0.60
  • Children under 42 inches (110 cm) tall: Free if accompanied by fare-paying rider. Limit is 3.
  • All others: $1.25

CATACash cards are issued through the farebox as change during cash transactions.

Tokens and passes

Riders may use one CATA token for a one-way trip; again, transfers to another route, good for 120 minutes, are free; round-trips prohibited; stopovers allowed on issuing line only. Tokens may be purchased for $1.25 each or in sets of 10 for $10 at various retail outlets around the area. They cannot be purchased on board buses.

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: $10 ($6 for seniors, disabled, Medicare card holders, and students)
  • 31-Day Pass (unlimited rides for 31 days): $35 ($18 for seniors, disabled, Medicare card holders, and students)
  • Student Semester Pass (unlimited rides for one semester, for students only): $50
  • MSU Commuter Lot Pass (unlimited rides on Route 32 only): $20 for one semester, $33 for two semesters

Governance

CATA is governed by a board of directors:

  • Four members representing the City of Lansing:
    • Nathan Triplett (chair)
    • Derek Melot
    • Dusty Fancher (Vice Chair)
    • Jennie Gies
  • Two members representing the City of East Lansing:
    • Shanna Draheim
    • Jack Schmitt
  • Two members representing Meridian Township:
    • Phil Deschaine
    • Phyllis Vaughn
  • One member representing Lansing Township:
    • Maggie Sanders
  • One member representing Delhi Township:
    • Douglas Lecato
  • One member representing Ingham County:
  • One member representing Michigan State University:
    • John Prush
  • Ex-Officio:
    • Terrance Augustine, Eaton County

Fleet

Current fixed-route fleet[21]

2006 DE40LFR
Retired 2007 DE60LFR
2020 LFS
Fleet # Year Make Model Length Propulsion Engine
402 2020 Gillig Low Floor 29' Diesel Cummins L9
579–585 2009 New Flyer DE40LFR 40' Diesel Electric Cummins ISL
586–587 2010 Cummins ISL9
588–590 2011 New Flyer XDE40 40' Diesel Electric Cummins ISL9
591–594 2012
595–604 2013
605–610 2014
611–619 2015
620–626 2016
627–631 2005 New Flyer D40LF 40' Diesel Cummins ISL
632–633 2004
635–636 2007 Gillig Low Floor 35' Diesel Cummins ISL
700–718 2019 Nova Bus LFS 40' Diesel Cummins L9
719–730 2020
731–737 2022
6010–6011 2009 New Flyer DE60LFR 60' Diesel Electric Cummins ISL
6012–6015 2019 Nova Bus LFS Artic 60' Diesel Cummins L9
6016–6018 2020
6019–6020 2022

References

  1. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Resolution Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Capital Area Transportation Authority". City of East Lansing. 10 May 2022.
  4. ↑ Hanes, Curt (11 April 1970). "Bus Firm Cuts Ties With City". The State Journal. p. 1. ProQuest 2032974546.
  5. ↑ Hass, Charlie (10 June 1971). "Capital Area Bus Authority Organized". The State Journal. p. 1. ProQuest 2032975969.
  6. ↑ "2022 Community Report". CATA. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Aguiar, Annabel (15 February 2022). "Lansing tried electric buses in 1973. It didn't go well". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "Battery‐Powered Bus Service Is Cut". The New York Times. 29 July 1973. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Electric buses sold to Flint firm". Lansing State Journal. 1 August 1979. p. B1. ProQuest 2033554496.
  10. ↑ "Agreement with CATA means free on-campus bus rides". MSUToday. Michigan State University. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "2007 Awards Program" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. 9 October 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Blanco, Sebastian (20 July 2007). "Lansing, MI has best transit system in North America". Autoblog. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "CATA hybrid buses celebrate 10 years". WSYM. 24 January 2017.
  14. ↑ "Nova Bus announces first order from Michigan". Nova Bus. 25 September 2018.
  15. ↑ LeBlanc, Beth (17 August 2017). "App now gives real-time updates for CATA buses". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  16. ↑ "Michigan/Grand River Avenue Transportation Study". Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  17. ↑ Robison, Laurie (25 April 2013). "CATA Bus Rapid Transit Advances to Project Development Phase". CATA News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  18. ↑ LeBlanc, Beth (19 April 2017). "CATA board shelves plans for BRT". Rebecca Poynter Steckler. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  19. 1 2 "About". CATA.org. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  20. ↑ "Operations". CATA. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Capital Area Transportation Authority". CPTDB Wiki. Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
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