SPESIF 2012 and Getting Around at the University of Maryland

I'm attending SPESIF 2012 this week at the University of Maryland. I'm learning a few tricks for getting around the area easily since I'm using solely public transportation on this trip.

Getting from the Airport to the University:
The B30 metro bus leaves the airport every 40 minutes or so [pdf]. It costs $6 and you have to have exact change. It will take you directly to the Greenbelt Metro station. From there, you can ride one stop on the metro train to the College Park Metro station.

University of Maryland College Park Shuttle System:
From here on out, you can get a remarkable number of places on the UMD shuttle bus system. Make sure to check the complete schedule and maps [really big pdf[ to see if where you're headed is on a route. You can also use the excellent NextBus application on your phone. Just click on the NextBus logo in the upper right corner of the UMD transit web page.

To get from the College Park Metro Station to campus, hop on the 104 in front of the station. The bus will drop you off at the Stamp Student Union building.

On several of the shuttle routes a student ID card is not required. I've never been asked for one on the 104 for example. The good news is that even if you're not a student, you can go to the transportation office in the Regent's parking garage, (see map below), and ask for a letter that lets you on the shuttles for $4 a day, (I hear). That brings us to the great news. If you're the student of any university, you can use your ID to get on any of the shuttles for free.

View UMD Transit in a larger map

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