Frequently Asked Questions

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) provides fast, frequent, and direct service within a well-defined corridor. The Silver Line will be like a light rail system on wheels, moving commuters north and south on Division Avenue from 60th Street to Michigan Avenue, looping through the core of Downtown Grand Rapids, stopping at 19 designated stations along the way. In addition, it will connect with key routes of the current Rapid bus system.

Expect reduced travel times, improved vehicle and system comforts, along with precise arrival times and more frequent service. Silver Line vehicles feature new suspension technology that reduces sway to increase riding comfort. Electronic payment systems ease rider flow on and off the bus. The entire system and riding experience is designed around your comfort, convenience, and safe and timely arrival.

There are BRT systems either in full operation or in development in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Kansas City, Chicago, Eugene, Ore., Cleveland, and Las Vegas. And more cities are exploring BRT as the demand for more efficient and economical transportation alternatives grows. The economic viability of the systems has already been verified. The impact and value of BRT in revitalizing American cities is something that is making them very popular with city administrations looking to stimulate growth and local economies.

There are several ways. First, the buses maintain and even increase population flow through a business corridor without increasing vehicle traffic. Second, each station is a potential hub of development and revitalization, as other cities have quickly learned. Third, traditional businesses such as retailers count on smooth efficient traffic flow to attract customers. Again, as other cities have found, a BRT system such as the Silver Line provides a steady, dependable flow of potential customers throughout the corridor, particularly at stations.

We studied both, opting for a BRT after examining the success of a similar system in Cleveland. They explored the possibility of building a light rail system and chose a BRT much like the Silver Line here in Grand Rapids. The deal-breaker? Cleveland’s light rail system was estimated to cost between $800 and $900 million. The BRT system came in at $200 million. Other cities like New York, and now Chicago that already have extensive mass transit rail system infrastructures in place have added BRT to their mix of mass transit options. Chicago will start running a pilot BRT program early next year to test the system before rolling out full service in four designated high-traffic corridors by 2010.

The Division Avenue corridor was chosen after a very intense analysis--it represents the best combination of current ridership, economic development potential, public input, travel timesavings, and population and job growth projections among other factors. Located parallel to US-131 as it snakes through the metropolitan area, the Division Avenue Silver Line draws on high volume traffic, with the potential of reducing vehicle counts on the expressway during morning and evening rush hours. And the Division Avenue corridor is ideally placed to tie communities such as Wyoming and Kentwood to the growth of Downtown Grand Rapids, while making the most of an area that is ripe for reinvestment and economic development.

It’s a quantum leap forward. First, Silver line buses will operate primarily in dedicated bus-only lanes, resulting in higher speeds and much shorter travel times between stations. Second, the Silver Line uses intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications such as transit signal priority, which allows BRT to travel through intersections more quickly than general traffic. Third, state-of-the-art technology reigns, with electronic payment to speed fare collection, real-time arrival travel information and advanced communication systems for faster and more convenient trips. Fourth, Silver Line buses are modern, clean, quiet, high-efficiency vehicles that use hybrid propulsion drive systems to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Silver Line will use stations rather than mere stops, 19 of them as the route is now planned. Stations are spaced from 1/2 mile to 1 mile apart and will feature roofs, lighting, and electronic fare collection for quick, easy, level boarding on the low-floor buses. This, in conjunction with wide entry and exit doors, allows Silver Line buses to enter and exit stations quickly.

There will be 10 hybrid electric, 40ft, low-floor buses serving 19 stops on the 9.87-mile route, with a service frequency of 10 minutes during peak hours and 15 minutes off-peak.

Located parallel to US 131, the Silver Line is strategically placed to serve the growing needs of six area communities, directly linking communities such as Kentwood and Wyoming to downtown Grand Rapids and serving Grandville, Walker and East Grand Rapids with traditional bus routes that connect to the new line. The Silver Line puts medical centers in and around downtown, research facilities on "Medical Mile," five college campuses, and downtown venues such as DeVos Place, Van Andel Arena and Rapid Central Station within reach of thousands of area residents – without the requirement of private vehicles.

Beyond easing traffic, reducing air pollution and enhancing the ability to move about in the metro area without cars, the Silver Line will have a tremendous economic impact on the region. First, it will create both temporary and permanent construction, technical and professional jobs. Roadway and station construction will add significant employment opportunities, as will the service jobs needed to run the line. Using an estimate of 405 permanent jobs and an average annual wage $37,000 per job, the total annual wage creation will be almost $15 million. Second, as development kicks in along the corridor, we estimate that return on Silver Line investment could be as high as 400%. According to a University of Michigan study the return on investment of the BRT in Cleveland has been estimated at a 1000%. In cities like Kansas City and York, Ontario, the return on investment was somewhere between 300% and 400%. The lowest return on a BRT system today has been in Pittsburg – and that was still an impressive 115%.