The Rapid announces expanded summer service schedule

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Rapid will be implementing a new summer service schedule beginning May 10, which officials say will provide increased access to public transit options across the entire service area.

Adjustments to the schedule are made to provide more service to the six-city area and improve overall system performance, according to a news release Wednesday.

Seventeen routes will begin service earlier on weekdays, with the following routes beginning service at 5:15 a.m. on weekdays:

• Route 1 – Division
• Route 2 – Kalamazoo
• Route 4 – Eastern
• Route 5 – Wealthy
• Route 6 – Eastown
• Route 8 – Grandville/Rivertown
• Route 9 – Alpine
• Route 10 – Clyde Park
• Route 11 – Plainfield
• Route 12 – West Fulton
• Route 15 – East Leonard

Those routes previously started running at 5:45 a.m.

Routes 7 and 16 will now begin service at 5:45 a.m. on weekdays instead of 6 a.m.

Routes 3, 13, 14 and 18 will start at 5:45 a.m. on weekdays instead of 6:15 a.m.

In addition, 14 routes will run later on weekdays, with the following routes adding a 10:15 p.m. departure from Rapid Central Station:

• Route 1 – Division
• Route 2 – Kalamazoo
• Route 3 – Madison
• Route 4 – Eastern
• Route 5 – Wealthy
• Route 6 – Eastown
• Route 8 – Grandville/Rivertown
• Route 9 – Alpine
• Route 10 – Clyde Park
• Route 11 – Plainfield
• Route 12 – West Fulton
• Route 13 – Leonard/Fuller
• Route 14 – East Fulton
• Route 15 – East Leonard

Last departures from Central Station previously left at 9:45 p.m.

Other improvements include Route 4 running every 15 minutes instead of every 30 minutes south of 28^th Street on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

DASH service, however, will now operate on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will no longer operate at all on Saturdays.

“We’re excited to be able to expand current service and increase options for our customers,” said Deb Prato, CEO of The Rapid. “Transit has such a critical role to play in pandemic recovery, and we will continue to provide our community with an accessible, reliable network of mobility options.”