Tag Archives: transportation

Grand Rapids tour: “I was completely wowed by Grand Rapids”

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Note: Several members of the Van Andel Millennial Board will offer individual perspectives on the recent visit to Grand Rapids.  Some posts will recap the entire visit, while others will discuss individual tour stops.

By: Megan Vandekerkhove, Adrian College

As a Van Andel Millennial Board member, a recent tour took me to an area of Michigan that I have never visited before – Grand Rapids. I live on the east side of Michigan so when someone says “big city,” I think of Detroit or Ann Arbor, not Grand Rapids. However, after this tour I am happy to say that my views have changed. In just two days, I was completely wowed by the city of Grand Rapids.

We visited all types of businesses, local establishments and organizations, which offered a unique and broad perspective of the city. On this tour, my favorite locations to visit were The Rapid and Kids’ Food Basket because they both demonstrated the drive that the city has to do good and help its citizens.

The Rapid, the region’s bus system, was personally exciting to me because we were able to see all of the efforts to provide efficient and effective transportation to all citizens, a big step forward to improving the mobility of Grand Rapids. I was also very impressed with the massive sustainability efforts taken on by The Rapid. From the green roof on its operations center to alternative energy buses, it was nice to see such a commitment to improving the environment by such an integral organization that is already doing a lot of good.

Kids’ Food Basket is a local organization that really touched my heart. To see the amazing work that is being done by this organization was overwhelming. When I found out that 1 in 4 children in Grand Rapids are food insecure, I was shocked that there is that much of a deficit in this beautiful city. But then to see that Kids’ Food Basket has been tackling this problem head-on every day really goes to show the passion Grand Rapids has to help.

Overall, I truly enjoyed my taste of Grand Rapids and I most definitely intend to share all the information with my peers, so that they too can understand the worth that this city has. Thank you, Grand Rapids!

Grand Rapids tour: Visit opens eyes to opportunities

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Note: Several members of the Van Andel Millennial Board will offer individual perspectives on the visit to Grand Rapids.  Some posts will recap the entire visit, while others will discuss individual tour stops.

By: Anthony Manno, Hillsdale College

Although I have lived in Michigan all of my life, never have I experienced the west side of the state like I did earlier this month during our two-day tour of Grand Rapids.

Going to school in the small town of Hillsdale, I especially appreciated the support everyone in Grand Rapids displays for local businesses. Local support, such as “Local First,” is the exact encouragement a new entrepreneur needs to begin a new business. It appeared that innovative ideas in Grand Rapids are able to flourish because that is precisely what the community craves.

I also enjoyed seeing the opportunities in the surrounding area of Grand Rapids. I am, of course, speaking of Haworth. Upon first hearing we would be touring an office furniture company, I was a bit skeptical. This skepticism didn’t last long after entering the amazing Haworth facility. The open working environment combined with efficient manufacturing and great leaders allow this company to be one of the best in the business. Haworth, expect an employment application from Anthony Manno…

Visiting two nonprofit organizations also was important to view. Between WMCAT and Kids’ Food Basket, it was evident that Grand Rapids is about more than just making money. Although there are plenty of opportunities to make an honest salary, there are also many different ways to give back within the community. Whether you want to work full-time for a nonprofit or offer a few hours of your time a week, you can help to make a very real difference in people’s lives.

The transportation, dining, and local support of businesses were very impressive and truly showed that Grand Rapids is here to stay. The future is bright for residents in Michigan, which is why graduates need to consider staying here. If you desire the feel of a big city coupled with multitudes of creative and supportive people, look no further than Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Grand Rapids tour stop: The Rapid

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Note: We’re pretty excited about the two-day tour of Grand Rapids on April 19 and 20.  In the coming days, we’ll highlight each of our destinations and talk a little bit about what we’re hoping to accomplish/learn at each stop.

Today: The Rapid

The Rapid is Grand Rapids’ rapidly expanding bus system that continues to see increases in ridership, routes, and pickup times.  As they say, “it’s how they roll.”

The Rapid will soon add Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a bus line that is described as having many of the benefits of a street car system without the tracks.  The system will have a dedicated lane during rush hours, be able to hold green/yellow lights to ensure that it stays on time, use platforms and electronic ticket stations, etc.  The federal government is set to award approximately $27 million to help build the infrastructure and purchase the vehicles necessary for the line and a millage from local communities will help to fund its operation once it opens in 2014.

Here’s a video about the BRT, called the Silver Line:

The Rapid also recently opened a new, state-of-the-art operations center.  The facility will support The Rapid’s continued growth over the next 15 years, is expected to gain LEED certification and was dedicated in January by the U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

We’re excited to tour The Rapid’s Central Station in downtown, its new operations center and hear about plans for expansion.

Visit to nation’s “second best place to live in” takes shape

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In 20 short days, the Van Andel Millennial Board will take part in its most extensive visit yet — a two-day tour of Grand Rapids (with a short trip to Holland).  The trip is designed to showcase a diverse mix of items/organizations/individuals that make the city a great place for young professionals.

The visit to Grand Rapids, recently ranked “the second best place to live in the U.S.,” will include:

  • A meeting with the mayor to hear about city initiatives designed to attract/retain young talent.
  • Tours of growing nonprofits led by young, dynamic leaders (WMCAT, Kids Food Basket and Local First).
  • A networking session with more than a dozen young elected officials (state and local) and approximately 100 young professionals.
  • Visits to the area’s central transit station (The Rapid), a unique shared workspace recently featured in the Wall Street Journal (GRid 70), and the HQ of one of the world’s most innovative and inspiring social experiments (ArtPrize).
  • And much more…

We’re so excited for this visit.  It is sure to be an educational and exciting time.  Check back for updates on the visit and first-hand accounts of the sessions.