Greater Detroit isn’t the only region in Michigan working to improve and expand their public transit system. According to the Michigan Land Use Institute:
On Jan. 24, the board of directors of Grand Rapids’ regional public transit agency voted to approve acclerating the study and design of a rapid transit system of its own. At the same meeting, the board that directs the regional system, known as The Rapid, also took two other steps: It decided to ask local voters to approve a property tax increase to improve existing bus service, and directed its staff to pursue federal funding for constructing a new “rapid bus” system.
The three decisions are meant to enhance urban mobility, unleash another wave of private downtown investment, and boost economic competitiveness in this rapidly de-industrializing Midwestern city, which is working to transform itself into a major player in the burgeoning global knowledge economy.
The board’s action is another step forward in a long, arduous effort that could eventually lead to the construction of a proposed 2.4-mile streetcar system that would circulate throughout the central city. The currently proposed route would link commuters to a convention center, an arena, numerous bars and clubs, new hotels and residences, and several other popular destinations in the city’s central business district. . . .