The Following was pulled from a section of the Rapid Reporter Spring_2011. Rapid Reporters are located on the right side of The Rapid's News page
from The Rapid Reporter, Spring 2011
Longer service hours, better frequency, more weekend service, and new routes are proposed.
Last July, The Rapid Board of Directors unanimously adopted a new Transit Master Plan for The Rapid. “The People’s Plan” represents a 20-year roadmap for public transportation in community areas served by The Rapid. It is a reflection of the Metro Mobile 2030 Task Force, community and business leaders, seniors, students, commuters, and riders and non-riders all working together to create a vision for public transportation.
The plan outlines an ambitious “Preferred Scenario” that includes service and frequency improvements, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in two corridors, a Regional Express Bus program, and a modern streetcar starter network that would connect the west side, downtown Grand Rapids and Medical Mile, thereby laying the foundation for future streetcar expansion projects (e.g., West Grand and East Grand Rapids). The Preferred Scenario also includes improvements to the GO!Bus system.
The first phase of implementation depends on the successful passage of a millage proposal, which is on the May 3rd ballot in East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker, and Wyoming. This would fund later weekday service hours, better frequency to shorten wait times and improve transfers, add more weekend service, and add new service by connecting Route 50/Campus Connector to Rapid Central Station; introducing Route 19 which would bridge multiple routes via Fuller Avenue and provide new transfer opportunities between Route 2/ Kalamazoo, Route 5 /Wealthy, Route 6/ Eastown, Route 13/ Michigan, and Route 14/ East Fulton; and starting BRT service on the Division Corridor and through downtown that would directly serve downtown Grand Rapids, Medical Mile, and Grand Rapids Community College among other employment destinations.
The number of rides continues to climb each year and The Rapid is eager to expand service to meet demand while making the transit system even more attractive to potential riders. Enhancing service on existing routes is a logical first step toward meeting the objectives of the new Transit Master Plan, and these improvements also topped the list of “must-haves” compiled during community meetings and surveys.
Shorter waits, longer hours.
Under the proposal, the number of routes with 15-minute peak service would double, welcome news for anyone on a tight schedule. It would also extend hours of operation and add more Saturday service, easing the lives of those who rely on it to get to weekend jobs, religious services, or shopping.
“When we asked the community what changes they most wanted to see, they gave us a list that boiled down to about 15 things,” said Casey Dutmer, Transit Master Plan vice-chairman. “Number one was increased service frequency and number two was extended service hours. That’s why you see them first on the list for service improvements.”
To read the entire plan, visit www.rapidtmp.org
The improvements proposed for Phase 1 of the 20-year plan are:
- Enhance weekday service so that all routes run at least every 30 minutes (5:00 a.m. – 7:15 p.m.).
- Connect Route 50, GVSU’s main route on Lake Michigan Drive, to Rapid Central Station to increase access and reduce the need for transfers.
- Extend hours so that all routes run until 11:15 p.m. weekday evenings (17 out of 21 routes will run every 30 minutes).
- The seven busiest routes will have 30-minute service until 12:15 a.m.
- Double the number of routes with 15-minute service during morning and afternoon commute hours.
- Run all routes (except Route 17 – Woodland/Airport) until 10:00 p.m. on Saturday evenings.
- Operate BRT express service serving Division Avenue, Medical Mile, and downtown Grand Rapids.