The Rapid
The Rapid
Moving people to and from their destinations, having an opportunity to with with a group of people who take pleasure and pride in making an important difference in the lives of others, being a part of the community is a win-win!
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Company Information
- The Rapid’s service area is 185 square miles.
- The Rapid has 28 fixed routes.
- The Rapid has 249 vehicles including 149 fixed-route buses, 10 DASH buses, 67 GO!Bus vehicles, and 23 vanpools.
- In 2019, The Rapid provided 10 million rides.
- The Rapid is home to Michigan’s first bus rapid transit line, the Silver Line.
- Ridership has nearly tripled since 2000. In 2014, The Rapid provided over 12.5 million rides and daily weekday ridership averaged 43,000. Since the pandemic, ridership has been down but is slowly coming back.
- There were 1.47 million rides taken in October 2014, the highest ridership month ever for The Rapid.
- Based on surveys of riders, 80 percent use public transportation to get to and from work. Lack of reliable, economical transportation is a barrier to many people trying to transition off public assistance. Giving people the tools to be successful is essential to reducing welfare costs.
- Based on an economic model developed for MDOT, the current operating investment in The Rapid creates 754 jobs and returns more than $88 million to the economy.
- The Rapid’s fixed-route bus cost per passenger is $3.17. The average among peer systems (similar service area and population – 400,000-500,000) is $5.03.* The Rapid’s average revenue-recovery from fares and contracts on regular routes is 26%.
- The Rapid launched Michigan's second bus rapid transit (BRT) line, the Laker Line, in Aug. 2020. This line enhanced connectivity between Grand Valley State University and downtown Grand Rapids, mitigate traffic and encourage development along the route.
- The Rapid has been awarded American Public Transportation Association’s Outstanding Mid-Sized Public Transportation System in North America in 2004 and 2013.
How many internships are you providing to the program?:
3-5
Company History
The Interurban Transit Partnership was formed in 2000 to operate a public transportation system they named The Rapid to provide services for the Grand Rapids metro area and beyond. It is organized and operates under Michigan Public Act 196 of 1986 with a 15-member board of directors representing the six municipalities in the service area.
Beyond its fixed routes, The Rapid also operates demand response services for people with disabilities, and for those living outside the fixed-route service area, car and vanpooling programs.
Beyond its fixed routes, The Rapid also operates demand response services for people with disabilities, and for those living outside the fixed-route service area, car and vanpooling programs.
Placements require a financial obligation of $1,600 for each youth under 18 years old, and $2,000 for each intern 18 or older. Please indicate if you are a nonprofit organization and need wage assistance.:
No
What transportation options for getting to and from work are available to you?:
By Public Transport (Bus, Wheels to Work, or Bike/ Walk)
Public Transportation Supports: Proximity to bus line and details of which line/stop. Wheels to Work program participation and cost.:
We are the bus transit for Grand Rapids.
Is your organization a Minority Business Enterprise?:
Yes
Diversity Equity, & Inclusion Commitment: Share your organizations commitment to DEI, including local or national diversity commitments/pledges, links to public content outlining your strategy, and current representation in leadership and the general workforce.:
We have our CEO commitment to D&I and have joined forces with Talent2025.
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