MN to Nebraska Bus to Give KXL the Boot

Description

ALL BUS TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT -- add your name to our waitlist/carpool form here!

On August 6th, pipeline fighters from all across the country will meet in Lincoln, Nebraska for the March to Give Keystone XL the Boot! MN350 and allies are coordinating a bus from Minneapolis to to the march, leaving on August 5th, with pay-what-you-can pricing thanks to the support of the Sierra Club. Get on board!

The march comes on the eve of a week-long public hearing process where the Nebraska Public Service Commission will be considering whether to approve KXL. We'll join with thousands of others to show that people from across the country know that this dirty tar sands pipeline, like the Enbridge Line 3 proposal here in Minnesota, is a bad idea for communities, climate, and water.

MN350 is running a bus from Minneapolis to Lincoln for this march and the Midwest Pipeline Fighter Summit immediately beforehand (more details below; preregistration required). Ticket prices are FLEXIBLE -- PAY WHAT YOU CAN between $10-$120; no scholarship application needed. Here are the details:

Departure and return point: Parking lot of the Lake St. Target (2500 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55406)

DEPARTING MINNEAPOLIS: 9am, Saturday 8/5 (must show up by 8:40am at the latest to board)
ARRIVING LINCOLN: 5pm 8/5
(overnight at the Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A St.)

MIDWEST PIPELINE FIGHTER SUMMIT: 10am-2pm, Sunday 8/6 (preregistration required)
MARCH! 3-5pm 8/6

LEAVING LINCOLN: 5:30pm, Sunday 8/6
RETURNING TO MINNEAPOLIS: By 1:30am Monday 8/7 (we're sorry, we know it's late!)

All ticket prices are purchasing exactly the same trip -- please pay what you can. We want this trip to be accessible to everybody who wishes to come, which is why there are different price levels. The actual cost of the trip to us is about $80/rider, but please select the option that you are most comfortable paying. You will be able to select the price you want on the next page of the booking process. If you have any issues with the website, further questions about pricing or details, or problems reserving your tickets, please email sarah@mn350.org and we'll follow up.

Please note that all bus times shown above are approximate and can vary based on road conditions and unforeseen circumstances. To help minimize these delays, it is imperative that you show up to the departure location at least 20 minutes before the listed departure time (show up by 8:40am at the latest) so that the bus can leave at the time indicated.

If you can't come on the trip, please consider sponsoring a rider -- generous supporters make this pay-what-you-can bus open and accessible to all!

Pipeline fighters on our bus are encouraged to attend the Midwest Pipeline Fighter Summit in Lincoln on the morning of the march, co-hosted by Bold Nebraska, Sierra Club, and MN350. This event is free and includes lunch but preregistration is REQUIRED. This is a chance for people involved in pipeline resistance across the Midwest to meet, share updates on fights in their regions, and build stronger campaigns together. Preregister with Bold Nebraska if you want to attend this summit. Otherwise, you are welcome to spend the morning and early afternoon in Lincoln for some unstructured time.

Bus travel Q&As:

Where do I sleep?

Every bus ticket includes a basic space to sleep in Lincoln. For this trip, we're thankful to be hosted by the Unitarian Church of Lincoln at 6300 A St, which will be providing a lasagna dinner upon arrival and a light breakfast in the morning (included in ticket cost, vegetarian options available, other special diets cannot be accommodated). The sleeping accommodations will be floor space, so please bring your own bedding or sleeping bag and mat. The building has a shower but there will be 50 of us, so most of us will choose to go without. There will be wifi and power outlets for recharging phones at the church.

Our housing is arranged with an eye towards keeping overall ticket prices as low as possible. Based on previous feedback, we should note here that the trip organizers cannot guarantee a perfectly quiet night, or a perfectly dark sleeping room, or a plentiful supply of bathrooms, although we always try our best.

Our housing tends to work well for 95% of travelers. If you have needs for more comfortable accommodations than what is described here, we ask that you book your own hotel room and arrange your own local transportation (such as a taxi) from our group housing to your hotel.

What about food?

We make an effort to source food donations for each bus we run. (If you can help donate food, please email Wendy at ulrich.wendy73@yahoo.com -- thank you!) This generally means that we have enough snacks on the bus for the ride out and often for the ride back also, although special or restrictive diets may not be accommodated. While in Lincoln, our hosts have graciously insisted on providing us a lasagna dinner for the evening of the 5th and a light breakfast on the morning of the 6th (vegetarian options available; other diets cannot be accommodated). Lunch on the 6th will be provided at no charge for attendees of the Midwest Pipeline Fighter Summit (vegetarian and gluten free options available; other diets cannot be accommodated; preregistration for the summit required).

You are welcome to bring your own snacks or meals for any part of the trip (and extra to share if you like!) and/or money to purchase food from highway rest stops or while in Lincoln. The bus will stop once or twice on the trip for very short food/bathroom breaks.

Are there bathrooms on the bus?

There is a bathroom on the bus. The bus will stop once or twice for short bathroom breaks.

What about outlets / wifi on the bus or in the lodging?

There may be a limited amount of power outlets onboard the bus, but we can't guarantee these amenities since they are dependent on availability at our charter company. The bus will not have wifi. Please bring your own portable power pack and cell phone or hotspot if this is important to you. Our lodging in Lincoln will have wifi and power outlets available.

Is the bus comfortable?

The buses we charter are fairly standard motorcoaches with a capacity of at least 54 passengers. These are not school buses. There is space for luggage underneath and small luggage racks onboard above the seats. The seats recline slightly and have reading lights. Many passengers choose to bring a blanket or sleeping bag onboard the bus with them, since we do travel late into the evening (especially on the return trip) and it can be easier to catch a good nap with a blanket.

Is there parking at the departure location?

The bus will depart and return from a large parking lot in Minneapolis near a Target, a Cub Foods, and a few-minute walk from neighborhoods with on-street parking. In the past, many people have been able to find a place to leave their car at or near this departure location, but we cannot guarantee space or assume responsibility for your car while you're away. The departure location is also right next to the Lake St. light rail station and on the 21 bus line.

Does a minor (under 18) need to have parental or legal guardian consent?

Yes. All youth under the age of 18 must have a signed permission waiver from their parent or guardian in order to travel. We will provide copies of the waiver to be signed at the gathering point before departure, but this may only be signed by the proper guardian; please bring your own copy if you plan to arrive alone.

Who is organizing this trip?

This bus is organized by MN350 and supported with the generous help of the Sierra Club. It is open to all who would like to attend the March to Give KXL the Boot.

What's your refund policy?

We recognize that things come up and plans change. We are willing to provide a full refund for tickets if a request is made via email to sarah@mn350.org before 11pm CT on Saturday, July 29. After that point, no refunds will be given.

Should I book today or wait until closer to the trip date?

Book as soon as possible, today if you can. Once this bus fills up, we close off ticket purchases and even though we'd love to have you travel with us, we have to say no if we don't have the room. For previous bus trips, we have often needed to start a waitlist and have not been able to accept many riders from it. It's often impossible to add extra buses at the last minute (we have tried before!) even if we have enough people to fill one. If you want to come to Nebraska from Minnesota for the March to Give KXL the Boot, please book as soon as you can to guarantee a seat!