Events and Public Transit

With the second year of ArtPrize rapidly approaching, we feel it's important to show our support for public art in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are partnering with Meijer for ArtPrize again this year to help you get around the Grand Rapids area with ease during the event (September 22nd - October 10th). Purchase of a wristband will grant unlimited access to ride The Rapid...

Hundreds of skilled trades workers, road industry groups and local government officials gathered at the Capitol this morning to rally the Legislature to overhaul transportation funding in Michigan as the state faces a huge drop in funding starting in 2011. The groups, which presented 5,000 signatures to state House Speaker Pam Byrnes, D-Lyndon Township, are advocating for...

We strongly encourage people to join us at any of the open houses or email us their comments. Input at this stage is critical in shaping the final Transit Master Plan." - Bob Roth The Rapid’s Mobile Metro 2030 task force is presenting possible future transit plans for public questions and comments in May. At a series of five open houses, people can review three differen...

For 18 days in October, a combination of over 1,200 entries, 159 locations and tens of thousands of viewers made a three-square-mile section of metro Grand Rapids destination central for ArtPrize. The ArtPrize event became an instant hit. ArtPrize also came with a few challenges that only success can bring. The volume of interest generated by the event brought un...

Facility improvements are well under way for our Wealthy Street Operations Center. Watch the re-cap from our December groundbreaking! The project will expand fleet storage and support capabilities. The building will leverage a number of sustainable features to earn an anticipated LEED-certified Silver level. Groundbreaking video...

The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus elephants are lending their trunks to create artwork in downtown Grand Rapids. The pachyderms, along with 25 young artists from the group Very Special Arts Grand Rapids, collaborated to cover a unique canvas- a RAPID bus. Circus leaders say it is a natural fit to have the world's largest artists participate in ArtPrize, the w...

Officials for The Rapid and ArtPrize announced today that individuals who purchase the ArtPrize Experience wristbands and ArtPrize Guidebook will be able to ride The Rapid for free during scheduled ArtPrize hours. “We felt it important to do what we could to make this exciting experiment for the international art community as accessible as possible,“ said The Rapid CE...

New York artist Dennis Oppenheim talks about his piece, "Journey Home," in front of The Rapid Central bus station Friday before the sculpture's dedication ceremony. Oppenheim, who also visited Grand Rapids in 2006 to pitch his vision, has said he was thinking about passengers going home when he designed the circular piece that begins from a smaller point and gets larger a...

Peter Varga, Chief Executive Officer of Interurban Transit Partnership, testifies on “Constructing a Green Transportation Policy”. His testimony touches on major questions about transit systems and on how congress can support local and regional transit systems. The following questions are also discussed: How has Grand Rapids specifically benefitted from its pub...