Rail Transit in Grand Rapids

Muskegon Chronicle says passenger rail, mass transit past due

2009-01-07T16:03:00.003-06:00

The Chronicle's editorial board supports infrastructure improvements namely mass transit. The editorial recommends transit and existing road improvements take priority in a possible public works stimulus package by the Obama Administration.Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Michigan Legislature passes bill 6114

2008-11-17T23:16:00.001-06:00

House Bill 6114 passed through the House by a 78 to 22 vote. House Bill 6114 (attached below) will allow the creation of local transit tax increment finance authorities or TIFAs to help fund public transit improvements. The next step is a passage through the Michigan Senate.Click here to view House Bill 6114Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

A call for visionary leaders

2008-10-21T06:15:00.004-05:00

The Press is calling for strong, diverse and visionary leaders at the County board for the upcoming election. Yesterday, the Press editorialized support for new faces supporting farmland preservation and expanded transit into the suburbs.Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Take the train, then a 7 mile walk

2008-10-20T11:03:00.002-05:00

Amtrak's Pere Marquette blog recommends folks ride the train to visit attractions in cities on the line. The most recent is a visit to a local farm approximately 7 miles out from the St. Joe station. Sounds great until you realize where's the transportation. Maybe taxi or on demand bus -- maybe. The kicker, though, is that Amtrak provides only one daily round trip between Grand Rapids and Chicago

Nelson\Nygaard hired to study regional bus proposal

2008-10-08T11:25:00.002-05:00

Nelson\Nygaard was hired by Ottawa County to study the need for regional transit. Local leaders on the shore recently proposed a regional bus project to connect Grand Rapids with cities on the shore. From the Grand Haven Tribune: http://tinyurl.com/3r9yq3Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Media updates from HB 6114 conference

2008-10-02T06:04:00.002-05:00

The folks at Michigan Municipal League passed along a media release from the conference to push for HB 6114. HB 6114 is being promoted as a way to jump start transit-oriented development near proposed rapid transit stations in Grand Rapids and Detroit.Quotes from HB 6114 supporters:“Building and expanding rapid transit systems are proven generators of thousands of jobs and billions in economic

A glimpse of electric traction in Grand Rapids

2008-09-25T19:58:00.004-05:00

Moving pictures of electric railway traction plus hustle and bustle in this early 20th century film of Grand Rapids. Also take note of the streetcar entering Romona Park on Reeds Lake at East Grand Rapids.Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Push for TIFA legislation

2008-09-22T15:57:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow, Michigan Municipal League alongside the Grand Rapids and Detroit Chambers will push for the passage of Bill 6114 in the Michigan House. House Bill 6114 will allow for the creation of tax increment finance authorities (TIFAs.) The act will allow authorities to establish a special district to capture future increases in property taxes within the district. Future property tax increases may

Flooding delays circus train in Grand Rapids

2008-09-16T17:18:00.000-05:00

WZZM 13 reports that the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train is late for its traditional parade of animals through the streets of Downtown Grand Rapids. Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/5s6cn7Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Suburban railroad makes railroading more accessible

2008-09-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

A great story about how a suburban railroad is preserving Grand Rapids railroading while making it accessible to all. Read the article in the Grand Rapids Press:http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/09/renovation_project_aims_to_mak.htmlComment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Editorial board still pro-transit

2008-08-27T16:16:00.004-05:00

With a string of editorials, the Grand Rapids Press board is still pro-transit. Read the latest editorial here. Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Take the train, The Chronicle

2008-08-03T18:41:00.002-05:00

The Muskegon Chronicle has an editorial on Amtrak and references the Pere Marquette. Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Improve MAX says Holland Sentinel

2008-07-14T14:38:00.002-05:00

The Holland Sentinel now supports improving the Macatawa Area Express (MAX) service to bring in choice riders. The editorial referenced a rise in gasoline prices and ridership as a reason to expand the service. A couple of recommendations involve reworking the service to offer 30 minute schedules and more transfer points. We strongly endorsed the 2006 millage, even though it meant a significant

For your convenience

2008-07-07T12:13:00.002-05:00

You can download a draft copy of the streetcar feasibility report at this link. Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Streetcar feasibility study out

2008-06-24T15:58:00.002-05:00

Just got a draft version of the streetcar study. Sounds like it could be lucrative with possible spin off investments totaling some $388 million. The ROI possible looks to be significantly higher than other current streetcar systems under study elsewhere in North America. The capital costs of the project could be upwards of $79 million and may be shouldered by multiple funding sources such as

RDV 's Tubergen speaks of mass transit

2008-06-20T11:05:00.000-05:00

In a recent Press article reporting a change up in a downtown project, RDV President Jerry Tubergen commented:"We also see how the downtown as a whole is working to become more walkable to and from the Medical Mile and other anchors, and we are staying close to the discussions on how some form of downtown mass transit will play a role to allow visitors who stay in the city core, hotel area of

Grand Haven supports transit study

2008-06-19T11:06:00.009-05:00

Add Grand Haven to the list of cities supporting the decision to study regional transit. The Muskegon Chronicle reports that Grand Haven's City Council voted to approve a resolution of support for the West Michigan Transit Linkage Study. The study will be funded by a grant through MDOT. West Michigan citizens and leaders envision a regional bus system linking harbor towns along the shore with

Progress for transit

2008-05-27T21:05:00.004-05:00

If you want to advocate expanding local and state wide transit check ProgressMichigan. This website makes informing your representation very simple. The page helps you send a letter of support to your local representative in the Michigan House and Senate. In case you think sending letters written by others in your name is odd, there is the option of sending your own personalized message. Check it

Varga's commentary to The Press

2008-05-19T14:55:00.002-05:00

The Rapid's executive director Peter Varga wrote a letter in The Press this past Saturday. The letter entitled "Getting on track to meet our needs," describes the south side BRT and downtown streetcar.This letter seemed to be aimed at the majority of the population who expressed genuine concerns for both projects. Public project funding has become a hard sell to Michigan taxpayers and transit is

Plan unveiled to establish transit TIFAs

2008-05-15T12:28:00.002-05:00

Legislation allowing transit revitalization tax increment finance authorities (TIFAs) has been proposed in Michigan. The plan drafted by Rep. Marie Donigan calls for channeling of funding to blighted or underdeveloped areas near transit stops. According to Donigan, the net gain from increased property taxes of improved areas would then be used to fund transit systems. Comment on this post or send

Google and Holland transit

2008-04-25T19:24:00.004-05:00

The shore has Google Transit! Now you can plan trips in the Holland area via the Macatawa Area Express (MAX). Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Regional transit to be explored

2008-04-21T20:21:00.001-05:00

It looks like Western Michigan is going to look at regional transit. The West Michigan Transit Study Technical Committee is set to look at the issue. The study is due sometime in 2009.This development comes from a push to connect the lake shore and city. Area leaders envision buses linking the region.It seems a part of the regional vision is missing something though. There is already a link

Google, meet The Rapid

2008-04-15T00:11:00.005-05:00

If you haven't already been to Google Transit -- it's a great resource. It lets you plan out a route via public transit. So, it's only natural that The Rapid be introduced to Google for an awesome partnership.Word on the street is that this partnership is already in the works with The Rapid contacting Google for this project. The only problem is porting The Rapid's route and schedule data into

Suburban county may expand transit

2008-04-14T17:53:00.005-05:00

Looks like transit in Allegan County might expand. This would give folks connections from Allegan, Holland, Fennville, Plainwell, Pullman, Wayland and Dorr to Saugatuck, possibly South Haven in Van Buren County. The head of Allegan transit is working on a plan to connect the two counties.Comment on this post or send mail to: railtransitgr@gmail.comMeet me in GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

Terminal Square, rail hub for Western Michigan

2008-04-01T18:15:00.003-05:00

Been pondering lately on how downtown fits into the rail transit puzzle .... so here comes a favorite of mine .... conceptual proposals!Amtrak already terminates on the southwest side. Anyone who rides the Pere Marquette knows the station as "the shack," or some other negative connotation. The place was hurried to get Amtrak in GR so aesthetics took a back seat. The Rapid and MDOT are supposed to