Get Involved
A Mobile Metro 2030 Task Force made up of several key community stakeholders has been assembled to guide the process. The Rapid will also meet with each city, members of the business community, educational and non-profit organizations and other key stakeholder groups. There will be an extensive public outreach effort, including several community workshops. Information about the project will be shared through meetings, email, materials and social media. This project web site will be used for the community as a central resource of information and a place to leave comments on what you'd like to see.
What Are Your Priorities? Take Our Survey...
Do you think there should be increased countywide service? More choices in transit? Extended service hours or more frequent service?
Since the Transit Master Plan launched, hundreds of people throughout The Rapid’s service area have attended workshops, emailed their ideas and voiced their opinions to Mobile Metro 2030 Task Force members about the future of transit in the greater Grand Rapids area. Now, you have the opportunity to rank your top five priorities of the ideas already submitted by the public, as well as add new ideas to the list. Take the survey.
The survey findings will be integrated in the Transit Master Plan report, available for public review and comment in spring 2010.
The Rapid recognizes the importance of public participation and encourages you to help shape the plan.
Common Themes from the November Workshops
More frequent service
More express and limited stop service
More convenient transfers
New modes: BRT, streetcar
Reduced travel times
More service to under-served areas
Easier fare payment
County-wide service
Improved services for seniors and the disabled
More park and ride lots
More public-private partnerships
More shelters, benches
Better passenger information
Extended evening hours
Better sidewalks, crosswalks
More weekend service
Integration with Amtrak, other modes
Specific Comments
“I take the bus to school. It’s a really beautiful system because it gets me to class, usually on time. The #6 runs every 15 minutes, which is awesome. It’s good for society, it’s good for my health…it’s good all around.” ~ Adora T (Grand Rapids Meeting)
“I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do to create a new type of transportation system in downtown Grand rapids and how that can extend to create smaller metropolitan hubs around Kent County. As we’re looking at the Grand Rapids area, as greater Grand Rapids is becoming a better area, an entertainment hub, and a cultural hub for Michigan and the Midwestern area, there’s going to be a huge need for public transportation and how to handle this influx of tourists that we’re going to have. So I see what we can do with transportation in the city, around the city, attaching that to smaller hubs. And creating a true, true, easy way for us to get around is going to be critical.” ~ Garrett F (Grandville Meeting)
“As someone who doesn’t ride the bus a lot, but who has in other communities, I think there are great opportunities for development and bringing economic development. And really helping some younger people, people who are looking for a more pedestrian friendly community, a greener community, to get more involved in public transportation." ~ Liz G (Grandville Meeting)
“One of the biggest reasons I came today was just to find out about the future of transit and the Grand Rapids area. I’m getting ready to graduate…where I settle, I plan to be for a while. So when I look a long-term plan, I want to see some of the ideas that the transportation system in the area has. Some of what I heard today was exciting. The community had some really good opinions on how they could improve service." ~ Mutebi G (Walker Meeting)
“I think we need to move toward new methods of transport. For the short term, we need into look into other things besides just the bus because we have reached a certain place where improvements may not necessarily increase ridership or change anything. I’m looking toward the zip car type method. I think this is something that will get those people who aren’t used to riding buses, or who are afraid to ride buses to have this option to do a ride share program, where they can individually plan out their route at the same time saving money and sharing a car. Hopefully these would be efficient cars. And for the long term, we’re looking to The Rapid bus transit plan as well as the streetcars, which will change the development of the city and get people to move toward the urban center instead of sprawling out. People will move where they are able to use transit. If the bus goes 20 miles out of the city, people will move there. But if the bus is located in the central core where there’s efficient, fast ways to transport then that’s where people will move. And that’s what we need to look forward to in the future, in 2030 and beyond." ~ Clare H (Walker Meeting)
