Grand Rapids invests in its own infrastructure and success

Last week, May 6, the citizens of Grand Rapids voted 2-to-1 for a ballot proposal to extend the temporary income tax raise until 2030 to pay for the rebuilding of its streets and roads. They also approved a measure that would make the city - via taxes - responsible for sidewalk repairs.

Previously homeowners were assessed the costs of sidewalk replacement, typically upon the sale of their homes. The proposal was sharply contested by the Grand Rapids Taxpayers Association, but the 13.7% of taxpayers who made it to the polls showed significant support for the measure.

This is the second time in the last three years that taxpayers have voted for change in their transportation infrastructure. They previously voted in May 2011 for the construction of a high-speed Silver Line bus line on Division Avenue as well as extended and expanded routes.

Currently the roads in Grand Rapids are rated 60 percent poor, a fact that creates a barrier to employment for lower wage workers who must commute to their jobs but cannot afford to pay for new suspensions or shocks every year, even if these auto parts are manufactured locally. With better roads, more comprehensive mass transportation, and other options for travel, such as dedicated bike lanes, it should be easier for would be employees to hurdle that entry to regular work.

The Grand Rapids business community has also grown in tandem with the development of the Silver Line. Grand Valley State University has continued to expand its downtown Pew Campus, last year opening the Seidman Center, which includes the Seidman College of Business.

The Downtown Market also opened to great fanfare last summer. The Medical Mile continues to expand. Michigan State University is planning a new biomedical research center on the site of the soon-to-be demolished old Grand Rapids Press building.

All along the future Silver Line route, buildings have been under the hammer. Tower Pinkster now occupies the gorgeously renovated Art Moderne building at the corner of Fulton and Division. Kendall College of Art and Design has extended itself into the refurbished former Federal Building. Just off of Division, Founder’s Brewing Company added a $26 million expansion with beer garden to its amenities.

The energy downtown is completely different than it was a decade or so ago. What was an empty and derelict downtown is now bustling with shoppers and businessmen, and regularly flooded with runners, swing dancers and ice skaters in season, happy to window shop, attend a performance at the Civic, or eat at any one of the fine restaurants in Grand Rapids's ever expanding food scene.

It’s an exciting time to be living in the city and see that, despite all of the economic storms of the past decade, Grand Rapids continues to thrive, build, and innovate.

Grand Rapids is Making a Push for Public Transportation

Most great cities have a comprehensive public transit system. New York City has its iconic subways, Chicago has its color-coded lines, and Washington, D.C. has the Metro. In these cities, owning and driving a car is typically more of a hassle than it's worth. This isn't the case in most Michigan cities though and many have blamed the motor vehicle industry for this. But in past years, the Motor City has shifted its focus from building cars and trucks and has begun putting its eggs into different baskets. Because of this, Grand Rapids may be able to craft a convenient and well-used public transit system, and it seems that the city is trying to do just that.

Officials expect that the Silver Line will be completed by the end of next summer. According to the Rapid's website, service for the Division Avenue Bus Rapid Transit--another name for the Silver Line--will begin in August 2014. There will be more than 30 stops in three cities: Grand Rapids, Kentwood, and Wyoming. Residents in each city will be able to make use of the BRT line, allowing them to leave the car at home when they commute to work. This could lessen the parking problem that has plagued the downtown area for years and will certainly save money for individuals who have a single-occupant commute. In addition, this option will be more environmentally friendly.

A BRT system is different from the traditional bus system in many ways, but the one detail that is most important is that there is often a dedicated lane for the bus. This means that during peak traffic hours, the bus system will usually have an open lane, allowing its expected arrival and departure times to remain both constant and reliable. There are many successful BRT systems throughout the U.S. as well as many more throughout the world. For instance, MetroBus--the BRT system in Istanbul--is reportedly used by 800,000 people each weekday on a 45-stop route that covers a 50-kilometer stretch.

This is the planned route for the Silver Line,
also known as the Division Avenue Bus
Rapid Transit. | Courtesy of the Rapid

Many people say that the success of a BRT system relies on the flexibility that is inherent in the idea.
BRT combines the best of a traditional bus system with the efficiency of a rail system. The infrastructure and subsequent upkeep for a BRT system is much cheaper than a rail system, and this is quite advantageous, especially for a city the size of GR.

But the BRT system is still a year away. In July, city officials including city planning director Suzanne Schulz and director of the Downtown Development Authority Kristopher Larson were hoping to shift a considerable portion of annual revenue from six of the city's parking lots to the DDA so that the funds can be used to design and implement a plan to get more people to walk, bike, carpool, or bus to their downtown workplaces. The details are still hazy but it seems that the idea is to help employers create programs that will influence their employees into using more sustainable forms of transportation. Ideas include a monthly payment of $60 to employees who do not drive to work, discounts on bulk purchases of bus passes, and bike-to-work days. Such programs would certainly contribute to the success of the Silver Line and turn Grand Rapids into a better city than it already is.