Bus Signs

Column 1

Winter Semester Bus Sign requests are open now!

Bus signs are a remarkably effective way to convey your message to the ever-growing number of campus commuters, including students, faculty and staff.

Advertisers may reserve advertising space on the blue campus buses on a week-by-week basis. The minimum reservation is one week; the maximum reservation is one semester. Advertisers create their designs, print and glue them to poster board, and submit them to SORC staff before the deadline, and SORC drivers place signs on up to 30 buses.

Reservation requests are taken online so that we may maintain a fair hierarchy. First-time users are strongly encouraged to read the entire contents of this page (specifically, the links in the right margin, starting with "Availability") before submitting the online request.

See Prices for Advertising Services

SORC accepts reservations one semester at a time.

  • Summer reservation period, which includes early May through August, typically opens in mid-April.  
  • Fall reservation period, which includes September through early January, opens in early July.
  • Winter reservation period, which includes early January through early May, opens the week after Thanksgiving.

Bus Signs: Prices

Bus Sign space is rented on a week-to-week basis by the linear inch. Thus, the space rental cost for an 8.5-inch bus sign is half the cost of space rental for a 17-inch bus sign.

 

Bus Sign rental prices 

The last increase to Bus Sign space rental prices was July 2022

Bus Signs: Terms of Contract

Terms of your Bus Sign Reservation/Contract

The Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) agrees to render services as stated on the contract; the Advertiser agrees to pay for services as stated on the contract and abide by the following terms.

Payment and Cancellation

  • Advertisers are responsible for obtaining information with specific guidelines and deadlines for each type of service.

Bus Signs: Request Space

Winter Semester Bus Sign requests are open now! Bus Signs are distributed across up to 30 U of M busses, promoting your organization to the ever-growing number of campus commuters, including students, faculty and staff. SORC is now accepting reservation requests for Bus Signs for the Fall 2024 reservation period. You may request advertising space for dates between now and 5/5/2024.

Bus Signs: Deadlines & Placement

Bus sign reservations are available on a week-to-week basis during the academic year.  (During summer, due to substantially decreased demand, this service is offered on a four-week basis, Sunday-through-Sunday).  SORC drivers hang signs on the university buses on Sundays between 10AM-2PM; minor alterations are made on holiday weekends and academic breaks.  Although SORC drivers place signs at a time when most buses are likely to be present, the buses are constantly in motion, serving the campus community.  

Bus Signs: Availability

Bus sign advertising space is on the interior of the blue campus buses.   This service can be reserved for one week or an entire semester, as long as space remains available.  You can reserve bus sign space for as many weeks as your budget permits, up to a semester at a time. 

Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis via SORC online reservation request.  There are three reservation periods each year:

Bus Signs: Construction

A "set" of bus signs is 30 signs. When you place a reservation for a week of bus signs, the rental cost covers placement of up to 30 signs.  It does not cover the cost of printing or production.  In order to for your signs to stay up for the full duration of your reservation and be effective, you must carefully consider Thickness, Height, and Width.  

SORC Clerks will not accept materials that are too thick or too thin.