Many incoming Penn State freshmen come from areas where buses aren't a common sight. However, because the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) buses are such an integral tool for the lazy Penn State pedestrian, it helps to know your CATA ins and outs.
Bus Basics
To catch a bus, stand near the bus stop and look like you're interested in catching the bus. This may involve just standing and staring intently at the driver, or it could involve hopping up and down and waving your arms about wildly.
Do not attempt to wave down a bus in the middle of the street.
Once the bus arrives, don't enter through the back door. It may seem like a good idea, especially if there are a lot of people waiting to board, but you will get yelled at if you try to do this. The back door is exit-only.
If you do see a crowd of people waiting for the bus, don't despair. The buses can carry more people than you think.
Students who need to store bikes before boarding the bus can put them on the front of the bus: Lower the bike rack from its upright position, place it on the rack and raise the support over the front tire.
Once on the bus, take an empty seat. If both seats are empty, sit in the one closer to the window. It is perfectly acceptable to sit next to a stranger if the bus is full.
If all or most of the seats are occupied, stand -- but be sure to move as far to the back of the bus as you can to make room for oncoming riders.
If your stop is coming up next, pull on the yellow cord to activate the "Stop Requested" sign. If two or more people want to get off at the same stop, a silent competition will often be held to see who can pull the cord first. Losing this competition will bring shame upon your family.
The Loops and Links
Loops and links are free for everyone and run continuously on campus.
The Blue Loop, which is never called the "Bloop" but should be, travels clockwise around campus, along Hastings Road, Shortlidge Road and College Avenue, and is the most accessible route for students in East Halls headed for downtown State College or the Greyhound bus terminal, 152 N. Atherton St.
The White Loop travels counter-clockwise around campus, by Beaver Avenue and Burrowes Road.
Each of these buses comes by about once every 15 minutes, so you shouldn't be waiting very long for a loop. Check the signs posted at each CATA stop for more exact information.
If you're lucky, sometimes you'll be able to spot two loops back-to-back. On especially rare occasions you may even see three in a row.
The Red Link is often used by students who want to get to Innovation Park, where some communications classes are held. The Red Link goes back and forth from Rec Hall, past East Halls and all the way out to Innovation Park.
The Green Link is most useful during events at the Bryce Jordan Center or Beaver Stadium; it goes along Curtin Road and drops students off at either venue.
Some other buses may flash "No fare on campus," which means that you can ride them for free while they travel through campus.
Getting off campus
CATA also offers a variety of other routes that charge a $1.25 off-campus fare. Exact change is required, and you cannot use your student ID to pay the fare.
To get to Wal-Mart, Wegman's or Target, take the N or V bus.
Movie fans and shoppers may want to get acquainted with CATA's M route, which goes by the Nittany Mall, Barnes and Noble, and the Premiere Theatre, which is the largest movie theatre in State College.
Students can find all bus route maps and schedules on CATA's Web site, www.catabus.com. Remember that many of these routes stop running shortly before or after midnight, so don't plan on staying out too late unless you've got somewhere to crash or you're getting a ride back to campus.
If you find yourself frequently traveling off campus, CATA offers bus tokens at a slight discount if you buy them in rolls of 20. These are available at the HUB-Robeson center information desk or at the CATA office, 108 E. Beaver Ave.
Walking Instead
Once you get to know your way around campus, you may notice that you can walk to some places in less time than it takes to wait for the bus and ride there.
In East Halls, lines for the buses can take up to three or four trips before a student can actually board the bus.
Because the CATA buses do not go directly by some popular destinations at the center of campus such as the HUB and Willard Building, you may be better off making the trip on foot.
