Get on the Bus

A Guide to UMD’s Bus System

Getting to and from campus can be stressful and can take up a lot of time. Whether you are looking to get across campus or from your apartment building down the road, the Shuttle-UM has your back. Shuttle-UM is one of the nation’s largest university transit services and has a fleet of over 75 vehicles. All UMD students may ride any bus, making it a great option to get around College Park and beyond for those students who do not have a car on campus, and even those that do!

When planning on taking the bus, make sure you download the NextBus app. This app allows you to see all Shuttle-UM route updates, alerts, and accurate ETAs in real-time. NextBus also allows you to sign up for automatic text alerts, letting you track your preferred routes. If you’re planning on taking the bus, have your UMD ID ready because several routes require a university ID for entry. Some bus routes are evening service only and will show a green box with “PM” in the middle to indicate so.

The on-campus bus routes are named after colors rather than locations to set them apart. The orange, purple, blue, gold, and green buses run through campus daily and include stops at many popular areas on campus. The main stops that these busses take include Stamp Student Union, Regents Drive Garage, the Atlantic Building, Ritchie Coliseum, the M-Circle, and various dorms. In addition, for getting students place-to-place on campus, many bus routes pick you up at apartment buildings, the College Park Metro, and various towns that commuter students come from.

The apartments that Shuttle-UM pick up from include University View, The Enclave, and The Varsity. Another great part of UMD’s bus system is that they have a grocery shopping shuttle. This shuttle stops at several dorms, campus buildings, and common streets that students live on and take them to various grocery stores in the area. This can be a huge help for students when they do not have a car on campus and cannot get to grocery stores easily.

Whether you choose to bring a car or not, we definitely recommend taking advantage of the many bus options available for students. Parking and commuting to UMD can be a hassle, but with the use of the shuttle system, it can become stress-free.

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