Riding CATA

If you see a problem on the bus, tell the driver. Here are some tips for all who use CATA vehicles and facilities:

• Turn your cell phone ringer to vibrate. If you must take a call, please keep it quiet and watch your language. Keep your conversations at a normal level. Don't use the speakerphone feature.
  
• Plan your route ahead of time by checking a print schedule, calling CATA Customer Service at 517.394.1000. A driver cannot take the time to give you detailed trip planning.
• Use the proper cash fare, CATA pass or ride card when you board. If you pay with cash, have your money in hand (U.S. currency only) and ID card ready to show the bus operator when you board. Drivers are instructed to ask to see ID cards for discounted cash fares.
• If you pay with cash and need to transfer, ask the driver for a transfer ticket when boarding your first bus—don't wait to ask until the end of your trip.
• Move quickly and carefully to your seat after boarding. Public transportation drivers are not required to wait until passengers are seated before they move the bus – they must keep to a schedule.
• Exit the bus from the rear door and wait until the bus passes to cross the street. This helps the boarding process go smoothly and keeps you safe.
• Accommodate those who need it. The front, aisle-facing seats in the bus are reserved (by law) for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. It is okay to use the seats, as long as no one, for whom they were intended, needs a seat. If you see an older or disabled person getting on the bus, please offer them your seat.
• Please take out what you brought on the bus and use the trash receptacles at bus stops and boarding centers.
• If the bus is crowded, offer your seat to someone who needs it more. If you find someone left an item on the bus, give it to the driver so they can turn it into CATA Lost & Found.
• Service animals are welcome on all CATA vehicles. Remember, they are working. Please do not pet or call the animal as these distractions can cause the service animal to make mistakes that could inconvenience or endanger their owner.
• When the driver asks passengers to move back, so others may board, promptly move to the back of the bus. This creates more space for others to board and the bus can continue on its way and get you to your destination on time.
• Do not distract the driver. It is in everyone’s best interest that they stay focused on their driving duties.
• Distribution of literature, offering items for sale, soliciting signatures, conducting surveys, or use of photographic equipment is prohibited without the permission of CATA management.
• Children should be removed from their strollers upon boarding the bus and the stroller should be folded and moved out of the aisle, so as not to impede passenger movement.
• If you smoke while waiting for a bus, please move away from non-smokers at the bus stop. Go to designated smoking areas at bus boarding centers. Properly dispose of your cigarette butt.