Interurban Transit Partnership

For the rail system in Cleveland, Ohio, see RTA Rapid Transit.

Slogan	Ride The Rapid
Founded	1963
Headquarters	300 Ellsworth SW
Locale	Grand Rapids, MI
Service area	Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker, Wyoming, Alpine Township, Byron Township, Gaines Township, Grand Rapids Township, Comstock Park
Service type	bus service, paratransit, bus rapid transit
Routes	24
Hubs	The Rapid Central Station
Stations	1 (Kentwood Station)
Fleet	129 Gillig Low Floor, Diesel Hybrid-Electric
Fuel type	Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel, Diesel Hybrid-Electric
Operator	Interurban Transit Partnership-The Rapid
Chief executive	Peter Varga
Website	ridetherapid.org -

The Interurban Transit Partnership operates a public transport system called The Rapid, which provides bus service to the Grand Rapids, Michigan metropolitan area and beyond. The Rapid was recognized in 2004 by receipt from the American Public Transportation Association of an "Outstanding Public Transportation System Award".

Formed by the City of Grand Rapids in 1963 as the Grand Rapids Transit Authority, the system became a regional authority in July 1978 and was renamed the Grand Rapids Area Transit Authority, or GRATA. In January 2000, the ITP was formed, which soon adopted the moniker, The Rapid, as its branding.

Branding

In September 2006, The Rapid unveiled a new look for the buses to match the design of the Central Station platform which opened in 2004. The older red, blue and yellow striped buses will be replaced over the next few years with the new design, which features waves of white and blue.

A new website was launched shortly after the new buses were introduced. New features of the website include e-mail updates by route as well as other services, and the ability to buy passes online.

Service area

Aside from the City of Grand Rapids, the system also serves the cities of East Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker, and Wyoming. Some routes extend into neighboring townships including Alpine Township (route 9), Byron Township (route 1), Gaines Township (route 4), and Grand Rapids Township (route 15).

Services

ITP operates 24 fixed bus routes, and special services for Grand Valley State University (with a stop at Grand Rapids Community College on one route) and Ferris State University (see below).

Rapid Central Station

Address: 250 Grandville Ave SW

Coordinates:42°57′28″N 85°40′21″W

Facilities: Opened in June 2004, the transit center is the main downtown hub for the transit system. The facility is also used by Greyhound Bus Lines and Indian Trails Bus Lines for bus services to destinations outside the city. The Rapid Central Station is the first LEED-NC certified building in the United States in the market of Mass Transit. More information is available at the U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan page on the bus line's Central Station.

Silverline

Silverline a proposed 9.1 Mile Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line was approved by voters in May 2012. On October 18, 2012, Federal Transit Administration Peter Rogoff visted The Rapid Central Station to sign a project construction grant agreement. Silverline will be the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in the State of Michigan. The line will run from Central Station through the Medical Mile on Michigan St. which eventually finds its way onto Division Ave. all the way to 60th St. where it terminates. Silverline will cost $40 Million. $32 Million will be covered by Federal Transit Administration with the rest being funded by Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Construction is planned for spring of 2013 with completion scheduled for the summer of 2014. Silverline is expected to begin service in August 2014. Passengers will be able to travel from 60th St. through the Medical Mile to Central Station in 27 mins.

Routes

Routes 1 through 16 and 18 through 19 stop at Rapid Central Station, as well as route 50 GVSU Connector (evenings and weekends), and South Dash. Southbound routes connect passengers to the three crosstown routes 24, 28, and 44. Routes 8 and 18 provide access to Amtrak with stops near the Wealthy and Market intersection.

On December 18, 2006, the Rivertown Crossings Mall bus stop was moved away from the entrance by Sears to near the entrance under the Celebration Cinema! (formerly Cinemark) building where there is a parking lot. The nearby Meijer was added to route 8 because the bus stop was moved on November 20, 2006. The table shows Rivertown Mall and the nearby Meijer as an endpoint for routes 8 and 44. Meijer serves as the terminal point.

The Rapid bus routes (as of August 16, 2012)

Number	Route	Endpoint	Endpoint
1	Division	54th St. (Byron Twp.)	Central Station
2	Kalamazoo	Kentwood City Hall	Central Station
3	Madison	Hope Network	Central Station
4	Eastern	Gaines Twp Meijer	Central Station
5	Wealthy/Woodland	Woodland Mall (Kentwood)	Central Station
6	Eastown/Woodland	Woodland Mall (Kentwood)	Central Station
7	West Leonard	Meijer (Standale)	Central Station
8	Grandville/Rivertown Crossings	RiverTown Mall/Meijer	Central Station
9	Alpine	Alpine/Henze (Alpine Twp.)	Central Station
10	Clyde Park	54th St. (Byron Twp.)	Central Station
11	Plainfield	Plainfield/Elmdale	Central Station
12	West Fulton	Meijer (Standale)	Central Station
13	Michigan/Fuller	Michigan Veterans Facility	Central Station
14	East Fulton	Leonard/Ball	Central Station
15	East Leonard	Knapp's Corner (GR Twp.)	Central Station
16	Wyoming/MetroHealth	MetroHealth	Central Station
17	Woodland/Airport	Woodland Mall (Kentwood)	Gerald R. Ford International Airport (Cascade Twp.)
18	Westside	Lake Michigan/Covell	Central Station
19	Michigan South (Peak Only)	Hall Street at Eastern Ave	Central Station
24	Burton	Grandville Library	Woodland Mall (Kentwood)
28	28th Street	Grandville Library	29th St./Acquest (Kentwood)
37	GVSU North Campus Express	Kirkhof Center
44	44th Street	Rivertown Walmart	Woodland Mall (Kentwood)
48	GVSU South Campus Express	Kirkhof Center
50	GVSU Campus Connector	GVSU Allendale Campus	GVSU Downtown Campus
50	GVSU Weekend Connector	GVSU Allendale Campus	Central Station
51	GVSU Health Sciences	Center for Health Sciences	GVSU Downtown Campus
60	GRCC	GRCC Main Campus	GRCC Sneden Center

During the school year, additional routes are used to serve students in the Grand Rapids Public School (GRPS) district. As of October 2005, there is a GRPS shuttle to after school programs at the downtown David D. Hunting Branch of the YMCA.

Grand Valley State University

All Grand Valley State University students, faculty, and staff can ride the buses for free. All others pay regular fare, except for route 51, which is a free DASH route. As of Summer 2009:

• Route 50 Campus Connector runs Monday-Friday from Kirkhof Center at the Allendale Campus to a bus stop under US-131 at Mount Vernon and Front at the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. Beginning the Fall 2012 semester, the Route 50 will also stop at Central Station.
• Route 51 (Dash to the Hill) / CHS Express runs weekdays between a stop at Lake Michigan Dr. and Seward NW and the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences at Michigan NE and LaFayette NE. Because it's part of the City of Grand Rapids DASH system, anybody can ride this bus for free, not just GVSU students, faculty and staff.
• Route 37 Off-Campus Apartment Shuttle runs weekdays through the Allendale campus to apartments on Lake Michigan Drive and 48th Ave. This route was broken up to form the new Routes 37 & 48. It previously went on Luce (Pierce St. until Fall 2006).
• Route 48 South Campus Express runs Monday through Thursday and Friday afternoon from Kirkhof Center to the South Apartments near 48th Ave. and Pierce St and back. It was new for Fall 2007.
• Route 50 Weekend Connector runs Friday evenings and weekends and is a combination of the above routes. It stops at Central Station, at which time riders can transfer to other routes. From 2004 to 2006, the bus traveled to RiverTown Crossings via Jenison on Saturday and Sunday. The Weekend Connector does not run during the Spring/Summer semester.

Grand Rapids Community College

Grand Rapids Community College provides route number 60, a shuttle bus connecting the school's main campus with the nearby DeVos campus. Stops are located in front of Sneden Hall at the DeVos campus, and at Fountain and Bostwick at the main campus. The bus is free for GRCC students and employees, and runs Monday through Thursday during the Fall and Winter semesters.

Ferris State University

Ferris State University contracts with The Rapid of Grand Rapids to provide shuttle bus service from Grand Rapids to Big Rapids. The Rapid has assigned route number 100 entitled "Ferris State Express" for this route. The shuttle bus originates in downtown Grand Rapids at The Rapid's central station located at 250 Grandville Ave. SW. The route to and from Ferris' main campus in Big Rapids includes stops near Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids and the Cedar Springs Meijer (3700 17 Mile Road). Standard Rapid tickets are not valid on this route, special fares apply.

Davenport University

Route 49, the Davenport Express, served Davenport University from Fall, 2005 to the beginning of the scholastic year 2010-11. When the bus service was in operation, it stopped at Central Station, the Davenport Fulton St. Campus, Centerpointe and Woodland Malls, and the Davenport Lettinga Campus, Monday through Friday. However, upon closure of the Davenport University Fulton campus, Davenport University has since opted for a charter bus service, which the school outsources. This service is called the Davenport Shuttle and has a schedule based on student needs.

Additional Services

Other services provided by the ITP include:

• Car and Vanpooling Assistance — For carpools, the service matches people who make arrangements based on similar work schedules and travel patterns. For vanpools, employees can use The Rapid minivans to get to work.
• County Connection — Provides transportation in all of Kent County, Michigan.
• Dash (Downtown Area Shuttle) Lot Service Under contract to the city of Grand Rapids, ITP maintains and operates the buses for the city along three routes: South, West, and To the Hill. The city operates the parking lots Dash serves. The Dash To the Hill route serves Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University as route 51.
• GO!Bus — Provides transportation for those with disabilities.
• Grand Rapids Air Porter — A new service as of January 2006. This shuttle runs between the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and several hotels in downtown Grand Rapids.
• PASS — Curb-to-curb service. Provides transportation into specific neighborhoods where there is low concentration of bus routes.

Future Services

The Rapid has announced a new vision for new services to be in place by the year 2030. Proposed Services include a downtown streetcar system, Bus Rapid Transit along Lake Michigan Drive and Silverline on Division Avenue (Construction begins in spring of 2013),expanded routes to Byron Center and eastern Ottawa County's Georgetown Township and the city of Hudsonville. A regional express bus service is also under consideration that would provide shuttle service from outlying areas into downtown Grand Rapids.

External links

• Ride The Rapid (official site)
• ITP Watch - A taxpayer organization that takes a critical look at the ITP's operations
• GreenRide Carpooling
• City of Grand Rapids DASH
• USGB of West Michigan