Alternative Transportation
Since its inception in 1982, the DDA has actively promoted walking, biking, and bus ridership, as the DDA recognizes that these alternative transportation options are good for the environment, reduce the number of downtown parking spaces needed, and lessen traffic congestion.
The DDA is a proud partner in getDowntown Program which encourages and assists downtown commuters in the use and development of sustainable transportation choices. The getDowntown Program is a partnership between the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, and the City of the Ann Arbor. The getDowntown Program organizes Curb Your Car Month in May and other activities throughout the year for downtown commuters.
Walking Downtown.
Did you know that Ann Arbor was recently ranked the 3rd best city for walking in the country? When you get here, it’s easy to see why. With the goal of making the downtown as pedestrian-friendly as possible, the DDA has:
- Undertaken dozens of sidewalk repair and improvement projects. These have included new concrete and brick sidewalks, lighting, trees, and street furniture.
- The DDA helped sponsor the Downtown Historic Street Exhibit program, which makes the downtown pedestrian experience more interesting.
- The DDA annually prints about 50,000 copies of the "Downtown Walk Map," which is distributed to visitors, residents and others through a variety of means. Email us at dda@a2dda.org if we can get you a copy.
Bicycling Downtown.
One of the best ways to get downtown may be sitting in your garage. The downtown offers lots of benefits for bike riders, including covered parking at every parking structure, and plenty of bike racks on the street. There are also bike lanes on several of the major streets leading into the downtown.
- New Bike Hoops. Over the past two decades, the DDA has installed well over 100+ bike hoops in convenient locations throughout the downtown.
- Bike rack locations on U of M campus
Bike Lockers. Two dozen bicycle lockers are available to rent by downtown commuters by the getDowntown program (locations and more info are listed here) for a small annual charge. To rent a bike locker, contact Nancy Shore, the getDowntown program coordinator, at (734) 214-0100.- Bus Bike Racks. For a great commuting option, you can ride your bike and the bus. All AATA buses carry bike racks on their front - it's easy to do! Read more at AATA.org.
- A City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County bicycle map (pdf) is available for download, or can be purchased for a cost of $2 at the following locations:
- Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation Customer Service Office, 734.994.2780
- Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Administration, 2230 Platt Road, 734.971.6337
- Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, 2960 Washtenaw, 734.971.6337
- Ann Arbor Cyclery, 1224 Packard Road, 734.761.2749
- Two Wheel Tango, 3162 Packard Road, 734.528.3030
- Two Wheel Tango, 323 E. Hoover 734.769.8401
- Great Lakes Cycling & Fitness, 2107 West Stadium Blvd. 734.668.6484 or 888.673.0448
- Light Action Foundation, 560 South Main Street
Riding Buses To and Around Downtown.
With almost every single route ending in downtown Ann Arbor, taking an Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) bus is a great way to get downtown. The AATA operates 27 bus routes and many Park and Ride Lots in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area. Information on the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority bus routes and schedules are available at www.theride.org.
go!pass.
The go!pass is a bus pass available to all downtown employees, which enables them to ride for free on any AATA bus throughout their system and is aimed at increasing the number of commuters coming downtown using buses rather than a single occupant vehicle. Go!pass users also get a ton of discounts at downtown businesses! More than 5,200 passes are in distribution with 368 downtown businesses participating. Downtown businesses are asked for a nominal co-pay and the DDA provides the other 90% of the cost.
A survey of downtown employees (pdf) prepared for the getDowntown program attempts to quantify the impact of the go!pass program, and also provides a snapshot of workforce demographics and travel patterns. The study indicates that the go!pass program has caused over 10% of pass holders to drive less, not only riding the bus more but also walking or biking to work more. On average, 1,100 trips are made with go!passes every weekday, and the program is estimated to have directly reduced the number of cars entering Ann Arbor every day by over 100. Additionally, the study points to the importance of home location in affecting travel patterns, with respondents indicating that the change that would have the greatest impact in their use of an automobile would be the ability to afford housing near downtown Ann Arbor. The study also examines the days and times at which downtown employees are commuting, where their current home location is, field of employment, and demographic data such as age, gender, and income.
The LINK
The Link is a downtown circulator that runs Monday through Friday, 7am through 11pm, September through April, connecting the UM campus area with the four downtown commercial districts. 
The DDA has partnered with AATA and the University of Michigan to continue this popular downtown circulator service. View the new route map and schedule (pdf) at AATA's website.