The FTA contributed approximately $32 million toward the $40 million total Silver Line project cost, including $19 million through its Capital Investment Grant Program and $13 million through its Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program.
The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Interurban Transit Partnership (The Rapid) celebrated the grand opening of the Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. The new system will significantly improve transit options in the greater Grand Rapids area and offer faster, more convenient access to major downtown employers along one of the city’s busiest commercial corridors.
The 9.6-mile BRT system operates primarily along Division Avenue, serving residential areas along the corridor and major employers such as St. Mary’s Medical campus, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and the Cook-DeVos School of Nursing. Compared to non-BRT service, the Silver Line is faster because it eliminates the need for transfers between stops and uses dedicated bus lanes for much of the route.
“The Silver Line is an excellent example of bus rapid transit that’s done right—offering a convenient and reliable travel option for thousands of residents in the Grand Rapids area,” said FTA Acting Administrator McMillan. “This new service will cut commuting times nearly in half for many workers, students and seniors in Kent County who are traveling to jobs, school and medical facilities in downtown Grand Rapids and the Medical Mile, while helping to reduce congestion on US 131.”
The FTA contributed approximately $32 million toward the $40 million total project cost, including $19 million through its Capital Investment Grant Program and $13 million through its Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program. The remaining cost is covered by state funding.
In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.
What truly drives the cost of a paratransit fleet? Beyond the purchase price, seven operational factors quietly determine maintenance frequency, downtime, and long-term service reliability. This whitepaper explores how these factors shape lifecycle cost and what agencies should evaluate when selecting paratransit vehicles.
In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.
Originally introduced in 2023 as the Bus Line Redesign, the effort has evolved into a more targeted update that maintains familiar routes while improving reliability, frequency, evening and weekend service, and connections across Allegheny County.
S3 will connect communities along SR 522 with fast, reliable, battery-electric bus service from Shoreline South Station to Bothell via Kenmore and Lake Forest Park.
