What Will Greater Grand Rapids Look Like in 2030?

A Transit Master Plan or TMP is a comprehensive, 20-year plan that will guide the future development of The Rapid transit system. The following is a section pulled from the approved TMP. Download the full Transit Master Plan from The Rapid's TMP website.

GVMC’s 2035 Long‐Range Transportation Plan Update

The Grand Valley Metropolitan Council (GVMC), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the greater Grand Rapids area, is in the process of updating its 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). In September 2009, GVMC held five sub‐regional meetings to gather population and employment projection data from local jurisdictions. These sub‐regional meetings provided an opportunity for jurisdictions to discuss future local transportation, land use, and development issues. Using U.S. Census estimates, American Community Survey (ACS) data, Regional Economic Model Inc. (REMI) data, input from the sub‐regional meetings and Claritas employment data, GVMC staff built upon the 2009 base year population and employment numbers to produce area‐wide projections for population and employment increases between 2009 and 2035. GVMC projected some interim year forecasts (2014, 2018 and 2025) but did not generate a forecast for 2030. In the absence of detailed socioeconomic projections for 2030, the 2035 forecast was utilized to identify areas of transit‐supportive employment and residential density.

GVMC’s most recent 2035 LRTP demographic projections, referred to as their “Modest” projection, estimated a 31% increase in population and a 21% increase in jobs over the 25‐year period. Prior to the demographic projections generated in 2009, GVMC’s LRTP had been based on much more optimistic assumptions, referred to as their “Aggressive” projection, which estimated a 42% increase in population and only a 51% increase in jobs by 2035. Taken together, these Modest and Aggressive projections frame the likely growth in the Grand Rapids area over the next 25 years. Plots of 2035 employment and population density are shown below in Figures 5‐1 (“Modest”) and 5‐2 (“Aggressive”).

Both the Modest and Aggressive density maps indicate significant population and employment densities downtown, along South Division St., on the West Side/GVSU Pew Campus, and other urban core areas. In addition, both future scenarios show modest densities in areas where The Rapid does not currently operate, such the Georgetown Township/Jenison area, 3 Mile Road in Walker, Ada Village, east 28th Street/Cascade Village and Patterson Avenue in Kentwood.

The Aggressive Projections show the greatest density of people and jobs located in downtown Grand Rapids and immediately south, west, east, and northwest of downtown. Other areas with additional density included Knapp’s Corner, the Woodland Mall area, the M‐6 corridor, the Wyoming Town Center, the area surrounding Rivertown Crossings, Metro Health Hospital/Gezon Parkway, Plainfield Avenue in Plainfield Township and 4‐Mile Road in north Walker.

See the Full Master Transit Plan