Rapid Central Station Explained

Rapid Central Station
Country:Michigan, United States
Connections:Vernon J. Ehlers Station (Amtrak)
Structure:Ground level
Bus Stands:16 city bus, 4 coach, 1 BRT
Opened:2004
Accessible:yes
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:bus
Marker-Color:
  1. 000
Zoom:15

Rapid Central Station (also known as the Transit Center) is an intermodal transit station in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is operated by the Interurban Transit Partnership and serves as Grand Rapids' main city bus station as well as a station on the Silver Line bus rapid transit. It is located on Grandville Avenue between Cherry Street and Wealthy Street, and is the BRT's northern terminus. It is just yards north of the city's intercity rail station, the Vernon J. Ehlers Station, on Century Avenue.

History

The station was built in 2004 at the cost of $22 million to serve as both a new bus station and a terminus for intercity coach routes such as Greyhound and Indian Trails. Greyhound moved its operations from 190 Wealthy Street SW on the corner of Grandville Avenue to be part of the intermodal station.[1] It was the first transportation center in the US to receive LEED certification.[2]

The year 2014 saw two major additions to the station. The Silver Line was completed in August[3] adding a platform to the space between the building's eastern entrance and the coach bays. Just two months later, the city's Amtrak station opened at its new location south of the bus station.[4] As Grand Rapids' major bus transfer point, the station features sixteen bays for city buses. Most bus transfers are made on the central platform, while access to the BRT and the Indian Trails coaches is from the station building to the west.

An information desk and ticket counter for the Rapid is located inside the station building, along with similar facilities for Indian Trails services. There are also vending machines. Outside of information desk hours, ticket machines on the central platform allow riders to reload fare cards.

Central Station is no longer served by Greyhound, which currently operates from a curbside stop adjacent to a Burger King restaurant at 410 Pearl St NW.

Local service

Service operates based on a mass arrival and departure system known locally as the "line-up". The regular routes 1-16 and 18 all operate around the framework of quarter-hourly arrivals and departures. On weekdays, major routes depart at :15 and :45, while others depart at :00 and :30 during the day before reverting to :15 or :45 timings in the evenings. Incoming buses are scheduled to arrive around 7–10 minutes prior to their scheduled departure.

The final "line-up", or departure, of the day is delayed until all participating buses have arrived and any transferring passengers have reached their desired vehicle.

Rapid bus routes serving Central Station (as of August 29, 2016)[5]
Frequency
NumberRouteDestinationM-FSatSunNotes
SLSilver Line60th Street Park N' Ride10-303060Local service (Wealthy-54th) provided by Route 1.
1Division54th Street Meijer303030
2KalamazooKentwood City Hall15-3030-603015-minute service only to 28th Street Meijer
Interlined with Route 9 on Saturdays
3MadisonHope Network30-6060none
4EasternGaines Twp Meijer15-3030-606015-minute service only to 28th Street
Interlined with Route 6 on Saturdays and Route 9 on Sundays
5Wealthy/WoodlandWoodland Mall (Kentwood Station)
Peak extension to 33rd/Patterson
15-6060none15-minute service only to Breton Village
Interlined with Route 15 on Saturdays
6Eastown/WoodlandWoodland Mall (Kentwood Station)15-3030-6060Interlined with Route 4 on Saturdays
7West LeonardMeijer (Standale)15-606060Interlined with Route 15 on weekdays
8Grandville/Rivertown CrossingsRivertown Mall/Meijer15-60606015-minute service only to Goodwill
9AlpineAlpine Walmart15-3030-606015-minute service only to Greenridge Mall
10Clyde Park54th St. Meijer30-606060Interlined with Route 16 on Sundays
11PlainfieldPlainfield/Elmdale15-306060
12West FultonStandale Meijer30-6060noneInterlined with Route 13 during Weekday mid-day
13Michigan/North FullerMichigan Veterans Facility30-6060noneInterlined with Route 12
14East FultonLeonard/Ball30-6060none
15East LeonardKnapp's Corner15-606060Interlined with Route 7 on weekdays and Route 5 on Saturdays
16Wyoming/MetroHealthMetroHealth30-606060Interlined with Route 8 on Saturdays and Route 10 on Sundays
18WestsideLake Michigan at Covell30-6060none
100Ferris State ExpressFerris State University4 tripsnonenoneNo schedule when no college classes

Inter-city service

Long distance routes serving Grand Rapids at Central Station
ServiceNumberCities fromCities toNotes
Amtrak370Chicago IL, St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, Bangor, Holland
Amtrak371Holland, Bangor, St. Joseph/Benton Harbor, Chicago IL
Greyhound4588Detroit, Southfield, E. Lansing, LansingMuskegon
Greyhound4590Detroit, Southfield, Ann Arbor, Jackson, E. Lansing, LansingMuskegon
Greyhound4591Lansing, E. Lansing, Southfield, Detroit
Greyhound4592Detroit, Southfield, E. Lansing, Lansing
Greyhound4593MuskegonLansing, E. Lansing, Southfield, Detroit
Greyhound4595MuskegonLansing, E. Lansing, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Southfield, Detroit
Indian Trails24Chicago IL, Gary IN, Benton HarborLansing, E. Lansing, MSU, Perry Jct, Flint, Saginaw
Indian Trails31Lansingoffers timed transfer from Bay City, Saginaw, Flint, Owosso
Indian Trails33Flint, Perry Jct, E. Lansing, LansingKalamazoo, WMU, Benton Harbor, Gary IN, Chicago ILAmtrak Thruway route 8555 from St. Ignace, Mackinaw City, Cheboygan, Alpena, Tawas City, Bay City, Saginaw transfers at Flint
Indian Trails80/82(82) Kalamazoo(80) Rockford, Cedar Springs, Howard City, Morley, Stanwood, Big Rapids, Reed City, Cadillac, Manton, Kingsley, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Alanson, Pellston, Mackinaw City, Sault Ste. MarieAmtrak Thruway 8364
Indian Trails81/83(81) Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinaw City, Pellston, Alanson, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Traverse City, Kingsley, Manton, Cadillac, Reed City, Big Rapids, Stanwood, Morley, Howard City, Cedar Springs, Rockford(83) KalamazooAmtrak Thruway 8365
Indian Trails86Kalamazoo
Indian Trails87KalamazooAmtrak Thruway 8465
Indian Trails93Holland, South Haven, Benton Harbor
Indian Trails94Benton Harbor, Holland
Indian Trails95Holland, South Haven, Benton Harbor
Amtrak schedules:[6]
Indian Trails schedules:[7]
Greyhound schedules:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Greyhound Relocates Facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Downtown Intermodal Transportation Center . September 14, 2004 . www.greyhound.com . Greyhound . November 2, 2014.
  2. Web site: Past, Present and Future Converge to Ride the Rapids at Transit Facility . www.dcd.com . Design Cost Data. November 2, 2014.
  3. Web site: Grand Rapids launches $40 million rapid bus system . August 25, 2014 . Washington Times. November 2, 2014.
  4. Web site: Vern Ehlers 'a true statesman,' says Sen. Carl Levin at new Amtrak station's opening . October 27, 2014 . www.mlive.com . MLive. November 2, 2014.
  5. Web site: System Map. 8 September 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111122160946/http://www.ridetherapid.org/ride/system-map. 22 November 2011.
  6. http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/8/305/Michigan-Service-Schedule-102714.pdf
  7. Web site: Schedules and Maps - Indian Trails. . webstore.indiantrails.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141103073150/https://webstore.indiantrails.com/schedules.asp. 2014-11-03.