FYI:

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will not operate regular fixed-route bus service, A-Ride paratransit, or senior taxi services on Monday, September 6, 2010 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.  Regular bus, paratransit and senior taxi services will resume on Tuesday, September 7.

AATA administrative offices at 2700 South Industrial Highway will be closed in observance of the holiday.  The offices will reopen on Tuesday, September 7 on their regular 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. schedule.  The Blake and Ypsilanti Transit Centers also will be closed on September 6 and reopen during their regular hours on September 7.

Passengers may take advantage of AATA’s Holiday Ride shared-ride taxi service on Monday for just $5 a person.  Seniors and persons with disabilities with an AATA identification card may ride for $2.50. Individuals with a go!pass may ride for $1.00 through a subsidy by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

The Holiday Ride taxi service operates only within the city limits of Ann Arbor.  To schedule a Holiday Ride trip, call 528.5432.

Bus route and schedule information is available on AATA’s Web Site at www.TheRide.org. or at 734.996.0400.

Abstaining from a favorite food or activity during Lent is a common tradition, and blogger John Thornton has taken this idea a step further: he gave up his car for 40 days. His main rule required him to use the bus, even if he was running late or had errands during the day. An avid bike commuter in Seattle, he was leery of the bus. He said:

The bus has always interested me but I’ve only managed to utilize it on a couple rare occasions, like when my car broke. The trouble is I’m not a good bus rider. I don’t understand the culture or the etiquette.  I’m terrified of taking the wrong bus and ending up abandoned in Everett.  I can never figure out how much I need to put in the coin bin or where to swipe the flex pass, I mean ORCA card.  Do I pay when I get on or when I get off?  How long can I leave my car at the P&R?

These are things I can relate to. When I started to commute by bus I had those same questions: what if I missed my stop? What happens if the bus doesn’t come on time (or at all)? His blog, Ditching the Car for 40 Days, journals his ups and downs as he commutes to work, and (hello parents out there) taking his daughter to preschool. She was excited to take the bus and it provided some extra father/daughter time that hadn’t been in his day before.

This idea feeds into Nancy’s great blog last week about Freedom, Independence and Halloween…and Busing to Work: try something, even just a few times, so you know what your options are. Learning how to use the bus is something that can give you freedom. Two weeks ago a mother called us looking for information for her child who will be commuting into downtown Ann Arbor to attend college – she was nervous about the prospect of her daughter taking the bus. What if she misses the bus? Where does the bus stop? What happens if her class runs late, will there be another bus? These are recognizable fears; fearing the unknown, the fear of being “stuck.”

Those of us who have driven for years know how to get around, park, read maps, or find gas stations in an unknown city. I’ve taught myself to use the bus locally, and I’ve used that knowledge to get around without a car in other cities. But that only happens when you try something new. Do you know the easiest route to take to bike or walk into work? Do you know what bus routes serve your neighborhood, or what Park & Ride Lot is closest?

The Commuter Challenge is around the corner, so if you’re inspired to try the bus, walking or biking for just 30 days (instead of 40!) get your co-workers together and sign up. Registration is open! Try something new, shake up your routine, and if you do, you could be rewarded with awesome prizes.

FYI from the AATA:

AATA Easter Transit Schedule Announced

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will not operate regular fixed-route bus service, A-Ride paratransit, or Good As Gold senior services on Sunday, April 4, 2010 in observance of the Easter holiday. Regular bus, paratransit and senior services will resume on Monday, April 5.

Passengers may take advantage of AATA’s Holiday Ride shared-ride taxi service on Easter for just $5 a person. Seniors and persons with disabilities with an AATA identification card may ride for $2.50. Individuals with a current go!pass may ride for $1.00.

The Holiday Ride taxi service operates only within the city limits of Ann Arbor. To schedule a Holiday Ride trip, call 734.528.5432.

Bus route and schedule information is available at 734.996.0400 or on AATA’s web site at www.TheRide.org.

The AATA announced that it plans to continue the A2Express Bus service to Chelsea that began two year’s ago.  The service starts at Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea with stops in downtown Ann Arbor and onto the Uof M campus.  People who use A2 Express really love it.

In order to lower the cost for a monthly pass, the AATA is going to be running the service in house rather that contracting it out.  This will allow them to offer monthly passes for $99/month rather than the current price of $125/month.

As we have been doing in the past, the getDowntown Program will pay 1/2 the cost of a monthly pass for this service for employees with a go!pass.  That means you could ride the A2Express for just $50/month, which is about $2.50 a day.  We can offer this price because of a generous grant from the Ann Arbor DDA.

For more information on A2 Express or the go!pass discount for this service, please contact getDowntown.

Mike is the type of person you might not typically think of as a sustainable commuter. He’s the President and COO of a growing company. He’s a dad. And he has a free parking spot in the back of his building.

But don’t let those details fool you. From my interview with Mike it’s clear that commuting sustainably fits perfectly into his life and has some unexpected benefits. Mike Felkey works at Intersect Digital, a small web development firm with some big clients. Intersect has worked with such companies as Subaru and Saatchi & Saatchi. The company’s headquarters is in downtown Ann Arbor (on First Street) and they also have a location in New York (who doesn’t, really). Depending on the amount of work available, Intersect employs anywhere from 17 to 60 employees. Currently, business is on the upswing.

The first clue into Mike’s interest in sustainable commuting comes when we talk about the company’s culture. Intersect is very supportive of telecommuting for its employees. Since many of the company’s employees live in places like Southfield and Novi and since many of them are working mothers, this benefit really helps cut down on a stressful commute. As far as Mike’s concerned, as long as employees get the work done, it doesn’t matter where they do it. We then chatted a bit about Daniel Pink’s new book, Drive, which describes how the businesses of the future are finding ways to motivate their employees through giving them freedom rather than imposing tons of rules. And according to Mike, this philosophy really pays off.

So what about the employees who do commute to work? Since Intersect offers the go!pass to employees, some of them happily take the bus. Other employees walk or ride their bikes. As far as Mike goes, he likes to walk, bike or take the bus to work. His commute isn’t super short either. If he chooses to walk, it can take him about 40 minutes.

So what’s Mike’s motivation for walking, biking or busing to work? He’s got a free space out back, and could probably get to work by car in less than 40 minutes. A big benefit Mike sees in leaving his car at home is that walking, biking and busing are all great for his health. He gets to build some exercise into his day, which might otherwise be a challenge to find the time for. Now that there are Zipcars downtown (a couple just a block from him office), Mike can bike, walk or bus to work even when he needs to go to a meeting out of town.

As we start to chat a little about Mike’s kids (his son goes to Tappan and his daughter goes to Burn’s Park Elementary), I find out another great benefit of Mike’s commute. Both of his kids have grown up watching Mike walk to work and now they want to walk to school. With all of the current news about childhood obesity, the example that Mike is setting for his kids is really inspiring.

When I asked Mike what he might like to see improved about transportation in our community, he lists fixing the lights so they are more in sync, improving the parking downtown, and adding more bike lanes to make cycling safer. We also talked a little but about the possibility of light rail, which is a topic he’s really interested in. Mike even said he’d contemplate giving up his car if there were light rail, especially since there are Zipcars available.

Mike’s biking, walking and busing ways are not unique among leaders in downtown Ann Arbor. Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, frequently bikes to work. Grace Singleton, Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Deli, is also a bike commuter. Bonnie Valentine of the Whole Brain Group often takes the bus to work. Curtis Sullivan and Liz DellaRocco, owners of Vault of Midnight walk and carpool to work.

Any downtown commuter can join this great list of leaders. All you have to do is hop on a bus, grab your bike, or strap on your walking shoes. If you work downtown and would like some help figuring out which commuting option is best for you, getDowntown can help! Simply give us a call, check out our website or send us an email for personal commuting assistance.

What do we all need more of in our lives, yet is incredibly hard to find more of? Time and money. We’ve talked to a few people that have found that by taking the bus they’ve each saved time and money.

Saving Money

Sherry Miller from Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC says that the bus saves her money and the ride is relaxing…

“I believe that utilizing the AATA transit system is a great way to save a ridiculous amount of money that it would cost me to park my car in a structure to work downtown.  Also, I find that riding the bus in to the station from the Park & Ride in the morning is relaxing and non-stressful.  I’d recommend it to anybody.  I love my go!pass!”

Renee Twining, an Administrative Assistant at the University of Michigan Hospital, says that by parking at the Miller Park & Ride and taking the bus each day she saves money.  To buy a pass at the Hospital’s parking lot would be “minimum $600/year to just get close to hospital and then you have to take a commuter bus” to make the final leg of the journey.

Saving Time

Chris DeVries of the University of Michigan CBDSM says that the combination of taking the bus and walking into his office is a great energizing activity each day…

“Since my commute is long (45 miles one way), I have been using the Park & Ride lots, AATA, and walking to get to work. Riding the bus allows me to read the newspaper or a book before and after work – taking my mind off work for a few minutes. The walking also gets my blood flowing in the morning, so I am ready to go when I get in the office.”

Renee Twining said that she gets to read and enjoy her coffee on the ride in.“I LOVE taking the bus!  Relaxing, and I always make it to work on time.”

According to Eileen Chaivre, an Administrative Support Specialist at the City of Ann Arbor, “By the time I walk to the Ann Ashley parking structure, get to my car and get out of the structure, I am passing Pioneer High at the same time or only a few minutes before the bus would be dropping me off”.

Think about your commute and how changing a few habits could result in time and money saved each day.  If you take Miller Road or Main Street into downtown each morning, why not park at a Park & Ride Lot and have the bus take you in? If you’re looking for more information on how to use the Park & Ride lots, or want to know what Lot would be best for you, give us a call at 734-214-0100 or visit http://getdowntown.org/bus/park_ride.html

Where do you go to find information on the best places to eat downtown? What about where to grab the best cup of coffee? Chances are you have a go-to source for this kind of information, whether it is a friend, a co-worker, or some online source.

But who could you turn to for help with your downtown commute? Maybe you’re sick and tired of paying for parking. Maybe you’re new to the downtown and what to get a sense of all your options.

No matter the reason, there is a great resource you can use if you work in downtown Ann Arbor. It’s the getDowntown Program. The getDowntown Program provides FREE commuting information for employees in downtown Ann Arbor. We know the bus routes, have figured out Park & Ride lots, and ride our bikes to work. We can answer any downtown commuting questions you have, and we can do it for free.

Click here to ask getDowntown a Commuting Question

Commuting Questions Answered

Here’s a taste of the kind of questions we can answer. These are actual questions from actual downtown employees:

Downtown Employee: I commute regular hours (M-F, 9-5) from Toledo to downtown Ann Arbor. Are you aware of any shuttle or carpooling opportunities (or where to find them) for folks who travel between Toledo and downtown Ann Arbor?

getDowntown: There are a couple of options for you.

Mirideshare.org: One option is mirdeshare.org, which is a carpool site run by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). All you have to do is go to mirideshare.org, enter in your information, and look for a match!

MichiVan: You might also be interested in vanpooling to work with other people who work in downtown Ann Arbor, including at the UM. The getDowntown Program can assist you with this, or you can do it yourself at www.michivan.com

If you do decide to carpool or vanpool to work, keep in mind that getDowntown offers preferential carpool and vanpool parking at various parking structures downtown.

Downtown Employee: I live in Ypsilanti Township, close to Huron River Drive. The AATA buses don’t go this far and there isn’t a Park & Ride Lot in the area. Can I park at a shopping center parking lot and take the bus from there?

getDowntown: This might be an option for you. The getDowntown Program can help by connecting with the manager of the shopping center to see if it is ok for you to park at that location.

Got a Commuting Question? I bet we have an answer! Click here to ask us a commuting question today!

We just got a call from someone wondering where the new AATA Plymouth Road Park and Ride Lot is located.

For a map of this location, please click here.

For more info on this and other Park & Ride Lots, you can visit getDowntown’s Park and Ride Lot page.

What if you are a manager of a busy downtown restaurant? You have a team of great employees, and you want to provide additional benefits to them, but that doesn’t mean you have to give each of them a bonus.

Providing go!passes is one way to do this but you already know about the unlimited bus rides the go!pass gives your employees. Maybe you’ve told your employees about the discounts you can get with a go!pass (10% off your coffee at Sweetwater’s or 20% off of an item at Ten Thousand Villages), but have you shared with them the discounted rate for the Night Ride ($1 with a go!pass)?

Do your employees know?

I spoke with Lisa Schramm of the Fleetwood Diner, as well as Carole Woods of Zingerman’s, and they both told me that the Night Ride has been a useful service for their employees.  Each of them took the extra step to publicize the Night Ride discount to your employees. Lisa said that she made a poster with the information on it, and Carole gave the information to a creative employee who made a clever, eye-catching poster and hung it on the inside of the employee’s bathroom stalls – where it was sure to get a little undivided attention.

A little creativity and an extra step, and let your employees know about all of the benefits that the go!pass has to offer.

In August 2009 the AATA began offering a new service, the A2 Express. It is comprised of the Canton-to-Ann Arbor Canton Express, and the Chelsea-to-Ann Arbor Chelsea Express. Making commuting into Ann Arbor easy and green for downtown employees is what we’re all about at getDowntown, so I sat down with a Canton Express commuter, Rosanne Frank of Miller Canfield, to get a better understanding of how this bus route works!

gDt: Why did you decide to try commuting by bus?
Rosanne Frank: I saw the flier [for the A2 Express] at our office and the times fit my work schedule, so I tried it. There was a two-week free trial in September that worked great for me, so I started commuting daily by bus in October.

gDt:How has the cost of the A2 Express Commuter Pass balanced out against the price you were paying to commute by car?
RF: I drive a Ford Explorer which doesn’t have the best mileage. It gets 17 mpg. And when you drive in from Canton, which was approximately 25 miles, which could be 3 gallons a day. That could end up being $40 or more in gas a week. I pay $62.50 for the Commuter Pass [as a go!pass holder] once a month. Plus I don’t have to pay for parking for my car at the Ann & Ashley structure.

gDt: How does the A2 Express work?
RF: I start my day at 7:17 am at Independence Park and the bus driver is extremely punctual. I get dropped off between 7:55 and 8:00 a.m. one block from my office. Before when I drove it’d take 25-30 minutes to commute by myself, but then sometimes I would get caught in traffic. I’m able to catch the bus home at 5:08pm. I work an 8-5 day, so I end up putting in an extra half hour each day on this schedule. Because I put in extra time during the week, my bosses let me leave on the 3:35 pm bus one day per week
I’m happy that I take the bus. If I know in advance that I am going to have a busy schedule at work I can take an earlier bus. If I need to get home early for some emergency, there is an emergency cab that is offered, so I know that I have a way to get back to Canton.

gDt: What in particular do you like about the A2 Express?
RF: The buses are comfortable and the drivers are great. The drivers also know where each rider’s stop is so if we don’t need to stop, he doesn’t. The buses are on time too, very punctual.

gDt: What do you do to pass the time on your ride?
RF: Listen to my iPod, sometimes I sleep. A lot of people read and some other riders are coworkers so they ride in together.

gDt: Had you only been a car commuter before?
RF: Yes.

gDt: Have you tried to convince any of your other coworkers to commute by methods other than the car?
RF: I have. My other coworkers’ schedules are too irregular for the bus to work for them. I’m glad that Miller Canfield is a part of the go!pass program, and that they allow me to work within the bus schedule and are flexible so I can take advantage of the A2 Express.

Thank you to Rosanne for her time! If you have any questions about the A2 Express, visit www.a2express.org or call 734-996-0400. If you are a go!pass holder and would like to purchase the discounted tickets, please contact the getDowntown Program at 734-214-0100.