go!pass

What is the go!pass?

The go!pass is an unlimited usage bus pass available to employees who work within the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) boundary (excluding UM employees and students).

go!pass Information

For Employers

• How do I order go!passes?
• Who is eligible for the go!pass?
• Who is not eligible for the go!pass?
• What are the policies and rules related to go!passes?
• Go!pass benefits and discounts
• Ordering additional go!passes throughout the year
  
• Reporting a lost or stolen pass
• Go!pass forms
• 2011-2012 go!pass Employer Handbook (PDF)
• 2011-2012 go!pass Order Form (PDF)
  

For Employees

• How can I get a go!pass?
• Go!pass benefits and discounts
• Who is eligible for the go!pass?
• Who is not eligible for the go!pass?
• Reporting a lost or stolen pass
  
• What organizations/businesses participate in the go!pass program?

How do I order go!passes?

Please follow these steps to order go!passes

1. The 2011-2012 go!pass season runs from November 1, 2011-October 31, 2012.  You can purchase go!passes at any time during this season. 
   
2. Go!pass orders can only be submitted by the manager/owner of an organization or a person designated by that manager/owner. 
3. Read the 2011-2012 Go!pass Employer Handbook and sign the Agreement at the back of the Handbook.
4. Fill out the Go!pass Order Form
5. Include the Go!pass Order Form, Employer Handbook Agreement and your Michigan Quarterly Payroll report or a letter from the manager verifying the number of employees along with your payment to getDowntown.
6. Once we receive your order, you will typically receive your passes within 2-3 business days.

Who is eligible for a go!pass?

• Organizations with a location within the DDA Boundaries may purchase passes for their employees.  Organizations outside of the DDA Boundaries are not eligible for a go!pass.
  
• Full time employees that work in the DDA Boundaries:  In order to participate in the go!pass program, you must purchase passes for all of your full time employees.  Passes are priced based on the number of full time employees at your organization and you can receive a pass for each full time employee.  Full time employees are defined as any employee (including managers and owners) that normally works 40 or more hours per week.  Full time employees that work at your organization but are not located within the DDA Boundaries are not eligible for a go!pass.
  
• Employees, interns, volunteers and contract workers who work AT LEAST 16 hours a week in the DDA Boundaries: Purchasing passes for part-time employees, volunteers, contract workers or interns is optional to you.  Employers can only purchase passes for part-time employees, volunteers, contract workers and interns that work AT LEAST 16 hours a week within the DDA Boundaries.  When purchasing passes for eligible part-time employees, interns, volunteers and contract workers, the employer must pay the employee cost for each part-time employee, intern, volunteer and contract worker, not just the ones who want the pass.  

Who is not eligible for a go!pass?

• Businesses or organizations outside of the DDA Boundaries: go!passes are not available to businesses or employers who are outside of the Downtown Development Authority Boundaries.
  
• Employees paid on a cash basis (e.g. without the money being taxed): Informal employees (e.g. someone paid with cash wages) are not eligible for a go!pass.  This is because as a governmental organization, we must ensure that all employers that receive go!passes are paying taxes to the state of Michigan.
  
• University of Michigan students, faculty and staff: Since the University of Michigan offers unlimited rides for all buses with the MCard, University of Michigan students, faculty and staff do not need go!passes.  An employer does not need to purchase go!passes for UM students, faculty or staff.  If a UM affiliated employee has a question about using the MCard for buses, they should contact UM Parking and Transportation Services.
  
• Private businesses that contract with the University of Michigan: getDowntown does not sell go!passes to businesses that contract with the UM.  These individuals should work with the University of Michigan regarding their alternative transportation needs.
  
• Employees who work for you but do not work downtown at least 16 hours a week:  Any employee that works for your organization but does not work downtown at least 16 hours a week is not eligible for a go!pass.  
  

What are the policies and rules related to go!passes?

• All of the policies and rules related to go!passes can be found in the Go!pass Employer Handbook.  Click here to download the Handbook (PDF).

go!pass Benefits and Discounts

• Unlimited Bus Rides: With a go!pass, employees get free rides on any AATA bus. This includes buses from the Ypsilanti area as well as buses from any of AATA’s Park & Ride Lots.

• Free Parking: With a go!pass, employees can park at any of AATA’s Park and Ride Lots and take a bus to work for free.
  

• 50% off ExpressRide Buses: If your employees live in the Chelsea or Canton area, the go!pass just got better. With a go!pass, employees get a 50% discount on passes for the ExpressRide service. That’s just $62.50 or less a month! Contact the getDowntown Program for details.

• Discount on Night Ride: For late night employees, the go!pass offers a discount on AATA’s Night Ride shared taxi service. With a go!pass, employees can use Night Ride for just $3 a ride, compared to the normal fare of $5 a ride.

• Tons of Discounts to Downtown Stores: Even if employees don’t use the bus, they can use their go!pass for tons of discounts to downtown stores. More than 30 businesses, including coffee shops, clothing stores, and more offer a go!pass discount of at least 10%. Click here for a listing of discounts you can get when you use your go!pass

Ordering Additional Go!passes

Go!pass orders can only be submitted by the manager/owner of an organization or a person designated by that manager/owner.  You may order additional go!passes throughout the year for new employees.  If you have extra go!passes from your first order, you can give those to new employees before ordering additional go!passes.  Also, employees who leave an organization must return their go!pass so the passes can be given to new employees.  You must keep track of all passes given to employees by using the employee tracking sheet provided by getDowntown or by using your own tracking method.

How to Order Additional Go!passes

1. Complete the Additional Pass Order Form (click to download):  The order can be completed by fax, email, mail or in person.
2. Pay for passes:  Passes must be paid for before they can be given to you.  Payment can be made when the passes are delivered.  Payment can be made with cash, online using paypal, with a credit card or with a check.
3. Pick up/delivery of passes: getDowntown can deliver passes to your organization or you can pick them up from the getDowntown Office.  When delivering passes, getDowntown Program staff will provide these passes to an owner or manager at the organization.  Once the passes have been delivered and signed for, they are the responsibility of the organization.  The getDowntown Program is not responsible for lost or stolen go!passes once they are delivered to the organization.  Only managers/owners of an organization or a person designated by the manager/owner is allowed to pick up go!passes for an organization.  The getDowntown Program will not give passes to a person that has not been identified as eligible to pick up the passes for an organization.
   

Report a Lost, Stolen, or Non-Returned go!pass

• Employers: Click here to report a go!pass that has been lost, stolen, or not returned by an employee.

• Employees: Please ask your employer to fill out the stolen or lost go!pass report in order to receive another go!pass

• It costs $25 to replace a lost or stolen go!pass.  With a police report, replacement passes are free.

Go!pass Forms

• 2011-2012 go!pass Order Form
• Replacement Form (for when an employee loses his/her pass) (PDF)
• Additional go!pass Order Form (for new employees who need a go!pass) (PDF) .  

How can I get a go!pass?

The getDowntown Program only sells go!passes to managers/owners of a business or organization.  If you are not the manager/owner of a business/organization and you meet the eligibilty requirements for the go!pass, you can contact the getDowntown Program to see if your business or organizations participates in the go!pass program.  Or you can check this list.

If your employer does participate in the go!pass program, getDowntown can tell you the contact person over at your business or organization who can get you a go!pass.  If they do not participate, the getDowntown Program can work with you to see if your employer is interested in participating in the go!pass program.