Traveling around Muncie can be challenging to figure out during your first year. Luckily, there are a lot of alternatives to driving that you can take advantage of.
BSU SHUTTLE
The Ball State shuttle bus service has four bus routes and can get you where you need to go on campus!
The purple loop offers stops at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and the Glick Eye Institute, Cooper Science Building, Studebaker, New York Parking Garage, Foundational Science Building, Elliot Hall, Architecture Building, Shafer Tower and Bracken Library.
The red loop serves the stops on McKinley Avenue and offers stops at Anthony Apartments and Oakwood. The green loop follows the same stops as the red, excluding the stop at Oakwood. The green loop also offers stops at the Alumni Center, Scheumann Stadium, the baseball fields and Scheidler Apartments.
Finally, the blue loop offers stops at the Letterman building, Art and Journalism Building, Health Professions Building, Linden, Wayne, Neely, Kinghorn and the Recreation Center.
The Shuttle Buses run from 7:15 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, and from 5 to 11p.m. on Sundays.
The bus routes and times are always available on the Ball State Transportation Services website.
MUNCIE INDIANA TRANSIT SYSTEM (MITS)
The MITS Bus is free for students with a Ball State ID. MITS routes and schedules are built into Google Maps. You can get on the bus at any intersection along the route if the intersection does not have a right-turn-only lane. The buses do not run on Sundays and have a limited schedule on Saturdays. You can track schedules in real-time with the MITSBus app.
CHARLIE’S CHARTER
Don’t walk late at night by yourself, especially if it’s dark and you need a safe way to get home. Charlie’s Charter is a shuttle service that runs after dark to pick up and drop off students on university-owned property. It is useful during the hours after Ball State shuttles stop their routes.
To get a shuttle ride, call 765-285-5005 and wait for a van driver. Charlie’s Charter runs from the hours of 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
BIKING
Bikes can be parked at any bike rack for free on campus. In addition, you may register a bike with the University Police Department (UPD), making it easier for police to locate the bike if it is stolen. To prevent theft, UPD recommends using quality-style locks, like a U-lock.
Students can also rent a bike locker at various locations on campus, including the residence halls and Anthony Apartments. It only costs $50 for the academic year if the bike locker contract is submitted to the Housing and Residence Life office before the first day of classes.
WALKING
When the weather is nice out and you aren’t in a rush, you can make it around the city with just your two feet! Minnetrista, a big park and shop, is just a 10-minute stroll down Neely. Downtown, with tons of shops and restaurants, is just 1.5 miles away from campus.
Walking might not be the most convenient solution to getting off campus, but it is still possible to see parts of the city without a car.
