Grand Rapids transit millage narrowly passes, city to get BRT line

[DetroitMan]

Next up for Rapid after millage passes: Ordering new buses, hiring more drivers
By Kyla King | The Grand Rapids Press
May 4, 2011


Transit millage supporters erupt in celebration at Brann's restaurant in Grand Rapids.

The millage passed after yes voters in Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapid overpowered a majority of negative votes from Kentwood, Wyoming, Grandville and Walker. The results were a dramatic reversal of a 2009 transit millage vote where no votes cast in Walker, Wyoming, Grandville and Kentwood overpowered yes votes cast in Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids.

For much of Tuesday night, elections results were a nail-biter for supporters and opponents who watched the margin get tighter as precinct reports came in.

Raw data shows 17,284 of 34,432 total voters said yes. That compared to 17,148 who said no.

HERE’S WHAT THE MILLAGE BUYS:

Total annual cost of proposed improvements: $3.7 million

The money will be used to pay for these improvements over five years:

• Increase weekday bus frequency to 30 minutes on all routes from 5 a.m. To 7:15 p.m.

• Run all routes until 11:15 p.m. weekdays

• Extend weekday evening service to 12:15 a.m. on the seven most productive routes

• Improve weekday peak frequency service to 15 minutes on the six next most productive routes

• Add Bus Rapid Transit on Division Avenue

• Extend Saturday evening service to 10 p.m. on all routes except Woodland Mall/Airport Route 17

• Extend GVSU Campus route to Central Station on weekdays at current frequency

• Increase weekday evening frequency to 30-minutes on six most productive routes to 11:15 p.m.

• Increase weekday evening frequency to 30-minutes on seven most productive routes to 12:15 a.m.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapi..._passes_b.html

[hudkina]

Wow. For being conservative, Grand Rapids has certainly acted more progressive than Southeast Michigan lately.

[LMich]

Raw data shows 17,284 of 34,432 total voters said yes. That compared to 17,148 who said no.

So, so, so very close, this was. So glad it passed.

I'm so jealous. Lansing's regional transit authority officially adopted the Michigan Avenue BRT alternative between downtown Lansing and East Lansing to its plans back in February, but given the political environment right now, no one has so much even touched the idea of a millage increase to build and maintain the line. And, I don't blame them, as we just defeated a millage increase to save police and firefighting jobs. If we can't even get that kind of millage through, it'd be a waste of money to call an election for transit, right now.

[Rizzo]

Grand Rapids has always had their act together. For them it's not so much a partisan issue...they just know what's good for them.

I bet Saginaw, Bay City, Midland, and Flint will have interurban BRT next.

[LMich]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Grand Rapids has always had their act together. For them it's not so much a partisan issue...they just know what's good for them.

I don't know, man. This passed by the thinnest of margins (136 votes out of nearly 35,000), and the city/suburban split was about as stark as you can get. The only difference is that they seemed to have just enough yes votes in the suburbs to offset the sheer size of the City of Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids, as a whole.

A vote that closes just shows that this could have literally gone either way, and the fact that they voted this down this same millage in 2009 shouldn't be loss. I think what made the difference this time is that those organized for this millage put in the hard work often not put in in other nearby metros.