UPDATE: 2/25/2011 - For the latest updates on The Rapid's attempt at passing this boondoggle again in 2011 through a 31% property tax increase, please visit the ITP Watch web site.
The ITP/Rapid transit agency is again asking taxpayers for a tax increase on Tuesday, May 5th. Once again, they are using an off-election date to try and get as few voters as possible. If you live in Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Walker, Wyoming, Grandville, or Kentwood, you should vote no on May 5th.
The new “silver line” that is proposed is what’s called a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. What’s that? Basically, they will cut off two of the four lanes on Division and squeeze regular traffic into one lane each way so that these new “rapid” buses get their own lanes. Did you think rush hour was bad before? If this passes, Division will be a traffic nightmare.
Some common-sense reasons to vote no:
This is a $70 million tax increase in the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression - plus another $40 million in taxes that will be spent from the Federal and State governments - bringing the cost to over $110 million for buses
There is already a bus line that has the exact same route
The residents of Grandville, Walker, and East Grand Rapids will see absolutely no benefit for their increase in taxes
How many people do you think live and work right along Division Avenue? This is another waste of money on a ineffecient and inconvenient fixed-line bus system
As previously mentioned, the “Silver Line” will absolutely choke up traffic on Division during rush hours
UPDATE: (4/16/09)
Since this original post, I’ve had several people contact me with more information:
The Rapid Silver Line will travel 9.8 miles from 60th Street to the Rapid Station near downtown. The total travel time is 36 minutes, which factors out to a whopping 16 miles per hour! Wow, Bus Rapid Transit, indeed!
The pro-Silver Line web site names one source for their claim that this spending will result in a 400% return on investment. However, a quick search on the Internet reveals that this “source” is just a three page article with no data to back up the claim.
The Rapid has supposedly done years of studying of this issue. Why don’t they publish any of that information on their web site? What do they have to hide? The Rapid has a history of not publishing data - they still refuse to publish their budget online.