Platinum Pass for Transit

Riding transit can save you time and money. Each day, hundreds of state employees climb aboard a Valley Metro bus or light rail and enjoy a quiet and relaxing commute. Valley Metro Local, Express, and RAPID buses and light rail can get you to work without the hassle of traffic, often quicker than driving alone. Valley Metro’s website offers a variety of trip planning tools at www.ValleyMetro.org. Valley Metro also offers a smartphone app that allows you to plan your trip and track your bus or light rail in real time. You can also contact a Valley Metro route specialist directly at 602.253.5000. 

Please note: the Platinum card is only available to state employees in Maricopa County. Contractors are not eligible to participate in the program. 

Transition to new Platinum card

Valley Metro is replacing the Platinum Pass with a new Platinum card in 2024. The new cards will be compatible with new fare technology that Valley Metro has implemented on Express, RAPID, and local buses as well as on light rail platforms.

Employees who have used their transit cards since April 2023 will automatically have their old cards replaced with the new Platinum cards. These new replacement cards will be distributed to the agencies and employees will need to sign for their new cards when they pick them up from their travel reduction coordinator or other designee. Employees will begin using the new transit cards on June 1, 2024. During the transition, Capitol Rideshare staff will continue to provide updates in the Rideshare Review newsletters and on this web page. Staff will also email employees with a Platinum Pass to communicate the coming changes. The new Platinum cards will not have an expiration date. 

UPDATE: ADOA is no longer issuing the old Platinum Pass transit cards. Only the new Platinum cards will be issued. Cards assigned after April 24, 2024 will be mailed the week of May 20, 2024. Employees should begin receiving those cards on or around June 1, 2024. 

Platinum Pass Pilot Program

Capitol Rideshare launched a pilot program that offers a fully subsidized Platinum Pass to state employees for six months, beginning on June 1, 2022, subject to the ongoing availability of funding. During the pilot program, Capitol Rideshare staff analyzed the ridership data and associated costs and determined there is funding available to continue the fully subsidized program through the end of fiscal year 2023. Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) leadership has approved extending the pilot program through June 30, 2024. Staff will keep employees up-to-date regarding any plans to extend the program and will notify employees prior to the pilot program conclusion.

Platinum Card Subsidy Program

NOTE: The employee copayments will be suspended during the pilot program as noted above.

The state offers a transit subsidy to non-university state employees working in Maricopa County who sign up for the Platinum card; contractors and interns are not eligible. There is no fee to apply for the transit card. Users only pay per ride. The historical subsidy rate is 50 percent of the fare, up to half the cost of a monthly transit card. Charges are capped once that monthly card rate is reached. The remainder of the cost (the employee’s share) is automatically paid through a payroll deduction the second pay period of each month.

Current costs for Light Rail/Local Bus riders as of March 1, 2013:

  • Your current per ride cost is $1.00.
  • Your current monthly maximum is $32.00.

Current costs for Express/RAPID Bus riders as of March 1, 2013:

  • Your current per ride cost is $1.63.
  • Your current monthly maximum is $52.00.

You are only charged for the rides you take. To obtain a Platinum card, please complete the Platinum card application and return it to your personnel office.  The card will be mailed to your home address of record; please allow up two to three weeks to receive it. 

Replacement Platinum cards: lost, stolen or damaged

Employees are responsible for their Platinum cards and for charges incurred. Be sure to check your paystub for charges, even when you have not used your card. The card may only be used by the employee to whom it was issued. It is your responsibility to protect the card and immediately report a missing or stolen Platinum card to your personnel department in writing. Be sure to request confirmation from your personnel department that the card was indeed cancelled. You will need to apply for a replacement; the fee for replacing the card is $5. The replacement Platinum card will be mailed to your mailing address of record. Click here for a current list of Platinum card processors for each agency. Please note: Capitol Rideshare cannot issue, cancel or replace a Platinum card; this is a payroll function.

Commuter Club

If you take transit to work at least twice a week, you are eligible for a free membership in the Commuter Club powered by RideAmigos Commuter Club offers relevant commuter incentives, including an emergency ride home, twice per fiscal year, in case you are unexpectedly stranded at work. Be sure to check out the details and benefits of Commuter Club membership.

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