Kent County Transit Needs Assessment

The Grand Valley Metropolitan Council, in cooperation with ITP/The Rapid, successfully applied for and received a Service Development New Technology grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation to conduct a transit needs assessment for Kent County. The purpose of the Kent County Transit Needs Assessment (KCTNA) is to complete an assessment of the unmet need and demand for transit in Kent County, particularly those parts of Kent County that are not currently served by The Rapid. The information collected as part of this study will provide information about the potential expansion of transit service beyond the current scope of existing transit service providers in the county. The KCTNA's primary goals are to a) examine the current transit use and service provided and identify gaps in service, b) anticipate future transit demand by identifying areas that may need transit to meet demand, and finally c) if a latent demand is identified, to identify options and financial implications of future public transportation service.

In December, 2009 RLS & Associates, Inc. was selected as the consultant to perform the KCTNA. Public forums and stakeholder meetings are an important component to this study and information and dates for public meetings will be periodically posted on this webpage. The study is anticipated to take 10 months to complete, with final presentations in February, 2011.

KCTNA Documents

The Grand Valley Metropolitan Council will host a series of five public focus group meetings during the week of June 14, 2010 to discuss the unmet transportation needs and the benefits of public transportation for the local community. This is the Kent County Transit Needs Assessment’s first round of public meetings and the purpose is to gain input and insight from the community about unmet transportation needs that could be addressed through public transportation.You are invited and encouraged to attend and bring your friends and clients to tell us about the unmet transportation needs and gaps in service for suburban/rural Kent County. Your input is very important at this early stage in the study process.

Representatives from the general public, human service agencies, advocacy groups, transportation providers, government and planning organizations, and private and public non-profit organizations are invited and encouraged to attend the focus group that is most convenient to their schedule. Each meeting will be an open discussion and offer ample opportunity for everyone to voice their opinion about the future of transportation in rural Kent County.

Meetings are scheduled at multiple locations, times, and days in an effort meet a variety of schedules. The meeting schedule is as follows:

MEETING SCHEDULE:

Date Time Location

Monday, June 14 6:30-8:00 pm City of Lowell, City Council Chambers - 301 East Main St, Lowell

Tuesday, June 15 6:30-8:00 pm Gaines Twp, lower level community room (lower level parking area and entrance) - 8555 Kalamazoo Ave.

Wednesday June 16 6:30-8:00 pm City of Cedar Springs, Council Chambers - 66 S. Main, Cedar Springs

Thursday June 17 6:30-8:00 pm Plainfield Twp, Board Room - 6161 Belmont Ave

Hosted by Hope Network:

Thursday June 17 9:00-10:30 am Hope Network, Education Center, Inspiration Room - 755 36th Street SE Wyoming, MI 49548

Please RSVP by June 14, 2010 by emailing Laura Brown at lbrown@rlsandassoc.com.

For more information or if you have questions, please contact Andrea Dewey, Transportation Planner, at (616) 776-7601

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