By: Deborah Johnson Wood
On May 8, voters in East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker and Wyoming will decide if they want a 0.17 millage increase to implement Phase 2 of an improvement and expansion plan for The Rapid public transit services.
The proposed Phase 2 improvements include:
- New regional transfer points and increased connectivity.
- New/extended areas of service.
- Increased weekday frequency (15 minutes) on five main routes during peak hours.
- Improved Saturday frequency on select routes.
- Additional weekday evening service and additional Sunday service on select routes.
- New route to northwest Grand Rapids and Union High School
In 2006, The Rapid's ridership increased by one million rides—five times the national average.
"I think we're at a critical turning point," said David Bulkowski, campaign co-chair for Friends of Transit. "Back in the 20s and 30s mass transit was seen as a way to get around, and cars were a luxury. From the 40s to now transit was a social service. Now we're making the switch back to transit being a great transportation option."
Bulkowski cites the route between Grand Valley State University's Allendale Campus and downtown Grand Rapids as a case in point. Many times during the day there's not an available seat on the bus, Bulkowski said. Students see it as a convenient option to get to work, school, and home, creating a generation of riders who want the availability of that piece of urban infrastructure.
Recently raised issues of the adverse environmental impact of pollutants from buses may or may not be moot. A study done in 2000 indicated that increased pollution from buses (versus cars) could be reduced if the buses used low-sulphur diesel.
"The Rapid's been using low-sulphur diesel for 18 months, which reduced certain pollutants by 90 percent," Bulkowski said. "Plus with the addition of the new hybrid buses, we'll be able to determine if it makes sense environmentally and financially."
The ballot proposal is for a total of 1.12 mills—the 0.17 increase and a renewal of the existing 0.95 mills. If passed, an owner of a $100,000 home will pay $56 a year, an $8.50 increase over the current $47.50.
Source: David Bulkowski, Friends of Transit
www.ridetherapid.org
Deborah Johnson Wood is the Development News Editor for Rapid Growth. She can be reached at [email protected].
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