Subscribers of Go Pass, the program that lets companies, educational institutions and residential complexes purchase annual unlimited-ride passes for eligible employees, residents or students, can spread some goodwill with their unused 2021 passes thanks to a new program being rolled out by Caltrain. The pilot program enables subscribers to donate their unused passes to a network of community-serving organizations throughout Caltrain’s three-county service area.
As the pilot program gets off the ground, it will utilize 700 unlimited-ride Go Passes donated by Intuit, using Clipper Cards provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), according to a statement from Caltrain. In turn, the community organizations in Caltrain’s service area will distribute the passes to their clients.
A full launch of the program is planned for January and will run throughout 2022 using donations received from Go Pass subscribers this fall, said the company.
Caltrain Board Chair Dev Davis expressed his appreciation for the Intuit and MTC donations, which he said “have made the first phase of the new program possible.” He added that the program offers “a wonderful opportunity to support the works of many organizations that serve our community.”
Other pandemic-era updates have previously been made to the Go Pass program. The validity of the 2020 Go Pass was extended through March 2021, and the 2021 Go Pass was sold at a 25 percent discount to a pro-rated cost, “to account for the shorter duration of the 2021 Go Pass, as well as continued uncertainty related to commuting patterns and usage of the passes,” per Caltrain.
Bart Charlow, CEO of Samaritan House—one of the organizations receiving the Go Passes—called the Go Pass “a terrific benefit to our clients, our staff and our community” and thanked Caltrain and its donors for “advancing equity and your commitment to community service.”
Photo by Rafael Lima
