Back in 1998 when Grand Rapids' transit system The Rapid set its Mobile Metro 2020 master plan in motion, ridership was 2.9 million trips annually. Today, ridership is 9.3 million trips annually and the initial plan has been implemented 11 years early.
It's time for a
new plan and the task force for Mobile Metro 2030 is in place. The Rapid will hold a
series of community workshops to get input on what riders and non-riders would like to see in a public transit system in the next five years, 10 to 15 years and 20 years. The first workshop was this week in Wyoming; future workshops will be in Kentwood, East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Grandville and Walker.
"The purpose is to hear input from the community," says Jennifer Kalczuk, The Rapid spokesperson. "We'll do a short presentation, cover existing transit services so people know what it looks like now and talk about what a transit master plan is. If you can't make the meeting in your area, you can go to any of them."
The master plan will look at budget and funding aspects, Kalczuk says. Part of that process is for the task force to conduct peer comparisons with other regions that are similar in size to Grand Rapids, with transit systems similar in size and scope to The Rapid, and to examine how those communities fund their transit systems.
Other factors include an operational analysis and developing a fleet management plan.
Anyone unable to attend a meeting can
submit ideas here or at the Project Hotline 616-774-1298.
Source: Jennifer Kalczuk, The Rapid
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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