Young downtown workers, businesses drive increased interest in getDowntown bus passes
A lot of downtown Ann Arbor employees use a go!pass to commute from Ypsilanti.
Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Of those other commuting options, getDowntown’s unlimited bus pass, the go!pass, is reporting the highest levels of ridership in the program’s 13 years in operation.
Customers took 640,179 go!pass rides from Nov. 2010 to Nov. 2011, up nearly 32,000 rides from 2000.
GetDowntown, a partnership between the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and the city of Ann Arbor, offers the pass to downtown employers for an annual $10 per employee. If an employer opts in to the program, they must purchase one pass per full-time employee.
The go!pass also gives people discounts for the A2 Express Bus, Night Ride and at many businesses downtown.
From people trying to cut commuting costs to employers encouraging environmentally friendly habits, use of the service is growing significantly, said Nancy Shore, program director for getDowntown.
More than 500 downtown Ann Arbor employers participate in the program, and Shore said the go!pass is even convincing some employers to locate downtown.
Shore recently spoke with AnnArbor.com’s Lizzy Alfs to discuss bus usage, go!pass demographics and the future of the program. Excerpts:
AnnArbor.com: Go!pass use continues to increase each year. Tell me some of the ridership trends you’re seeing.
Shore: One of the trends I’m seeing is a lot more young people living and working downtown that don’t have cars. These are the knowledge workers and the people we want to keep in the community.
Where is the market for them? It’s downtown because there is access to transit and it’s walkable and bikeable.
AnnArbor.com: What kinds of employers are choosing to buy go!passes for their employees?
Shore: There are 500 and some organizations downtown that get the passes for employees. Of those, the top three industries using the pass the most are food - and 89 percent of passes given to restaurant workers are used - personal care, fitness, other services and retail.
But another one of the things we’re seeing is an increase in bus use by the IT marketing-type sector. Companies like Google, MyBuys, Arbormoon and Lakeside Software use go!passes. One of the things keeping these companies downtown is they can offer this benefit to employees and don’t have to worry about offering parking for everybody.
AnnArbor.com: Go!passes save on costs for employers who don’t have to pay for employees’ parking, but what are some other reasons people may be utilizing the bus system?
Shore: I think a lot of these employees are just more interested in living an urban lifestyle, and part of that is getting places on a bus. I think the environment does play in, and there’s also a fitness component.
Hands down, I think the cost component is huge. And then I think people are feeling more comfortable with public transit in general. It doesn’t feel as strange to people, especially people moving from Chicago or other urban areas. There’s also a hipness factor to it, as well.
AnnArbor.com: How do you see both this program and other Ann Arbor transportation options growing and expanding in the future?
Shore: The bus system, zipcars, bike parking and all these things add up to make downtown more attractive and compelling. There are a few things I’d like to see:
As part of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority’s master transit plan, they’d like to hire somebody to do what I do for the outside of downtown area. So hopefully, they’d focus on the university to increase their transit use and other major employers.
Part of the master plan also focuses on more evening and weekend service and it’s coming if the voters decide it’s worth their money. It would definitely benefit businesses.
I am talking with a couple other people about starting a bike share program. There are a lot of people interested in going short distances downtown and having a bike share program would be compelling.
I’d like more expansion in the zipcar program as Ann Arbor grows more vibrant. I’d like to continue the conversation about the “Complete Streets” concept and the idea of making each street supportive of all transportation uses, such as making sure bike lanes are always maintained. I want to make any mode of transportation somebody wants to use convenient for them.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
G. Orwell
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 4:19 p.m.
The Agenda is obvious. Make public transportation, even at a big loss, biking and walking more affordable and accessible at the cost of private transportation. This is to FORCE everyone to take the bus, bike or walk. In a few years only the wealthy will be able to afford to drive into the city. Cost of owning and driving into the city will continue to get more and more expensive. Just as the city of London (biggest police state in the world with over 4,000,000 surveillance cameras. Truly Orwellian) has done. This is all a part of Agenda 21 (Google it). The Green Belt program is also a part of the program. To cut off the subuerbs from the city core. These things all sound great, particularly to environmentalist and concientious people. Until you find out the real intent behind it. I am all for public transit, biking and walking. However, it should not be forced on the people. Politicians work for us. They do not rule over us.
G. Orwell
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 8:06 p.m.
GI've it time and try to think for yourself rather then drinking the kool aid.
Tom
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 7 p.m.
No one is forcing you to take a bus, and you don't need that tinfoil hat.
Tru2Blu76
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 6:08 a.m.
What I like about Ann Arbor's transportation "package" is that it's comprehensive and long term. You can lead the horse to water but you can't make it drink right away - but the horse will eventually change its mind. Investment of tax money in a long term, multi-option transportation package is not something the skeptics have yet fully considered. To say "we're not there yet" is not to say we can't be in the not too distant future. Zipcar: only operates in a few cities in North America. Wherever they do operate: they're very popular. We are lucky to have Zipcars in Ann Arbor.
Nancy Shore
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 12:46 a.m.
Thank you Lizzy for a nice article. If anyone would like to know more about getDowntown, please feel free to contact me at 734-214-0114 or nancy@getdowntown.org. @bunnyabbot, Thanks for your honest feedback. It sounds like you didn't feel like we were listening to you at the meeting we held where you expressed concerns about parking and enforcement. It is definitely true that customers and employees have different needs and that those needs are not met by the same things.b If you feel like there are things the DDA could do to improve the customer climate in downtown (and maybe what the area associations could do), I encourage you to come to a DDA meeting and speak during Public Comment. The meetings are held every first Weds. at 12 at the DDA Offices on 150 South Fifth, 3rd Floor. You are also free to email me at nancy@getdowntown.org to share your concerns in more detail and any thoughts you have for our to improve things. The DDA does not handle enforcement, but is in conversation with the City about enforcement and I know is committed to trying to make it feel more comfortable for customers to park downtown and not have to fear a ticket. As for the Link, it is something that isn't necessarily being considered right now, but that doesn't mean it isn't something that should be pursued if businesses think it would help them out. Anyway, please know that getDowntown and the DDA are listening to your feedback. Again, I apologize that you did not feel heard at that meeting.
jns131
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 12:02 a.m.
Due to the lack of school buses ours takes an AATA with the school buss pass we pay once a month for. Without ours would have to walk or go to school on line. At least AATA works for us. Can't wait till she is driving. Eliminate a lot of nightmares. Thanks for a great update.
annarboral
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 10:26 p.m.
If buses are such a great thing then why do they need to be subsidized? Seems to me that something worthwhile should be able to pay its own way.
Rick Neubig
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 1:16 p.m.
time for toll roads!
Angry Moderate
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 10:32 p.m.
Roads are subsidized too, don't you like those?
xmo
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 10:07 p.m.
Saving the planet, being hip etc is great but HOW much does the AATA cost the average resident in Ann Arbor? Are they even close to breaking even? They have expensive Hybrid buses, run with 5 or 6 riders (except football days) and cost us tax payers a bundle. What a deal!
Blanch DuBois
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 9:44 p.m.
@xmo....when riding the bus I'm able to look out the window and watch all the cars go by with ONE occupant in each vehicle. Car after truck after van after car....all with ONE occupant per vehicle.
Nancy Shore
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 1:10 a.m.
@xmo, Just so you and others know, for the month of December, the number of passengers per service hour for the AATA buses was 30 passengers per service hour. This is many more than you estimated. In fact, many of the buses (especially the ones on Washtenaw Ave) are experiencing ridership that is so great they have to bring in more buses during the day to accommodate all of the people. And also so you know in the State of Michigan only 10% of all tax dollars for transportation go to things like the bus system. The other 90% goes for roads and bridges.
jns131
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 12:03 a.m.
5 or 6 riders? Where? When? They are adding another #4 which is a great idea because if we miss the first at least we have back up.
bunnyabbot
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 8:42 p.m.
the gopass works for some and not for others. However we do need some sort of downtown LINK running for downtown customers. (it was tried and cut, well try it AGAIN) It is very irritating to be in a meeting with the DDA and Nancy Shore discussing how customers are mad at the cost of parking and mostly the aggressive enforcement of parking only to have Susan Polley and Nancy Shore trying to spin all conversation back to commuting options for employees. Their agenda stacked, canned answers are annoying and NOT helpful to downtown businesses, infact they harmful.
Nancy Shore
Sun, Jan 22, 2012 : 5:03 p.m.
Thanks for your honest and feedback, bunnyabbot.
bunnyabbot
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 4:58 a.m.
The DDA says there has been greater use of the downtown parking spaces, but how many old customers have we lost while getting the new ones? In business you want to both retain customers and gain new ones. Not two steps forward, one step back. It causes us to have to work harder!
bunnyabbot
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 4:57 a.m.
meetings held in the middle of a business day are useless to many business owners, as we are often working. Customers complain about feeding the meter here and feeding the meter there or having to wind through multiple parking garages. There should be a grace period on meters of 5 mins. Nothing irratates me more than plugging a meter with coins only to have it countdown on my time by the time I add my last coin in. The old meters had a grace of 5 mins. Customers and shopowners are well aware that the new meter system is designed to double dip money on a parking space when there is a turnover in car, they really don't like how they don't get any of the left over minutes from the person in the spot before them (it was always a nice surprise for many). Customers complain that using a credit card has automatically charged them the time limit on the space. Maybe they use it wrong, but paying for 2 hours when you only meant to pay for 30 mins pisses people off. Meter machines not located at or near handicap spaces, or handicap spaces that are not plowed well in the winter is another problem. there should be amnesty parking days or "reduced" fine days to submit payment on and during the holidays there should be free parking times. but back to the meetings.You were listening, you were just ignoring or deflecting. It wasn't just I, it was a roomful of people, so you weren't "listening" to many people.Many people have gone to meetings only to be disgusted by the wall they hit as far as the agenda of the DDA et al, little regard is given to businesses grievances. They don't come from nowhere, they come from pissed off/frustrated customers that take it out on us, from venting at us (knowing it isn't our fault), saying they don't or won't come back or throwing hissy fits at us.
Nancy Shore
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 1:10 a.m.
@bunnyabbot, Thanks for your honest feedback. It sounds like you didn't feel like we were listening to you at the meeting we held where you expressed concerns about parking and enforcement. It is definitely true that customers and employees have different needs and that those needs are not met by the same things.b If you feel like there are things the DDA could do to improve the customer climate in downtown (and maybe what the area associations could do), I encourage you to come to a DDA meeting and speak during Public Comment. The meetings are held every first Weds. at 12 at the DDA Offices on 150 South Fifth, 3rd Floor. You are also free to email me at nancy@getdowntown.org to share your concerns in more detail and any thoughts you have for our to improve things. The DDA does not handle enforcement, but is in conversation with the City about enforcement and I know is committed to trying to make it feel more comfortable for customers to park downtown and not have to fear a ticket. As for the Link, it is something that isn't necessarily being considered right now, but that doesn't mean it isn't something that should be pursued if businesses think it would help them out. Anyway, please know that getDowntown and the DDA are listening to your feedback. Again, I apologize that you did not feel heard at that meeting.
Linda Peck
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 8:04 p.m.
This is great news! All the way around!