Small boost for buses
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The Grand Rapids area's bus system has made a reasonable case for the property tax renewal and small increase it is requesting on the May 8 ballot. Ridership numbers are up, painting a compelling picture of why expanded service is warranted. Passage of the .95 mill renewal and .17 mill increase would protect and build on the progress the system has made. We recommend a YES on the ballot proposal.
There is a growing demand for service. Passengers took 7.4 million trips on The Rapid bus system last year; nearly 1 million more rides than in 2005. Ridership on the 22 fixed-routes is up 15 percent; Saturday and Sunday ridership is up approximately 16 percent; ridership in the evenings after 6 p.m. is up about 24 percent. A ridership survey found that 62 percent of all rides connected people to their work. The figure reflects public transit's importance to workers, employers and the economy in general.
The transit system has service contracts with several area colleges and universities specifically to transport students and faculty. Ridership on those routes is up as well.
The transit proposal will be before voters in the six cities that belong to the Interurban Transit Partnership (ITP), also know as The Rapid: East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker and Wyoming. The combined 1.12 millage request would be levied for five years. If approved, it would take the place of a 0.95 mill tax that expires in 2008. The new tax would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $56 a year. That's $8.50 more than taxpayers are currently paying.
The Rapid intends to use the money to add another bus route to Grand Rapids' Northwest Side around Union High School; expand evening and Saturday service on five routes; reduce wait times by 15 minutes on five routes; and add regional transfer points that don't require riders to travel to the downtown Central Station to transfer to a connecting route. Those are commitments taxpayers should make sure transit officials keep.
The planned enhancements could create up to 20 new jobs -- primarily drivers, but mechanics as well.
The Rapid has shown it doesn't have a tin ear and has listened to resident's survey comments. It has ended service that attracted few riders and put more buses on popular routes such as the Alpine and Standale corridors and runs to area malls.
ITP officials did not include a fare increase in their bid for more revenue but that option should be on the table in the future. In fiscal year 2006, fares accounted for 14 percent of The Rapid's operating revenue; property taxes about 37 percent of revenue. The current $1.30 fare is not out of line with bus fares in other Michigan cities ($1 in Holland; $1.25 in Flint and Battle Creek; $1.35 in Kalamazoo; and $1.50 in Detroit), but an increase seems a reasonable consideration the next time more operating revenue is sought.
Mass transit is an economic necessity for Grand Rapids and surrounding cities. Employers underscore the importance of bus service to their ability to attract and keep workers.
A growing community needs a public transit system that gets people where they want and need to go in a timely and reliable manner. The Rapid is doing a good job of meeting that need. A YES vote is deserved.