Streetcars Coming to Grand Rapids?

Heres a little tid bit about Portland's streetcar system, for all you ignorant whiners:

"Since opening for service in 2001, the streetcar has helped Portland's urban core leverage approximately $3 billion in private reinvestment. That includes more than 7,200 housing units and 4.6 million square feet of retail, office, hotel, and institutional space. Remarkably, all of that redevelopment is located within two blocks of the streetcar route.

Even as regional population grows, the streetcar has enabled Portlanders to reduce automotive miles travelled, protect air quality, and respond to ecological concerns like climate change.

The innovative public transit system also is improving mobility for residents and workers of all ages, income levels, and ability. A system originally projected to transport 3,500 riders per day carried more than 9,000 by 2005.

"The streetcar is a tremendous economic, environmental, and social improvement tool," says Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams."

-Rapid Growth.com

Of course, you have to notice to word "innovative" in that article--a concept that people in West Michigan just don't understand. You people would rather just drive your cars to your drive-through Star Bucks out in the burbs. Also, I think the system would be used by others besides inner-city citizens who can't afford to drive. If you look at the route,(did anyone here actually look into the topic before coming on here to bitch about it?) it is mostly in the central downtown district, which is actually mostly middle and upper class citizens, who, believe it or not, WILL happily ride a street car(I am one of them)

Think outside the box people.

Portland is full of progressive, liberal minded folks unafraid to go or live near "downtown because its dangerous". Its citizens ride bicycles like crazy and they actually use their public transportation.

West Michigan residents do not have the same mindset. A majority seem to be conservatives with deep pockets and short arms that can't wait to earn enough to move deep into the suburbs and not have to walk amongst the great unwashed. Good luck getting them to use, much less help pay for a trolley system.

Grand Rapids actually does use its transit system -- in fact it uses it so much The Rapid broke a record for ridership. Tell them the double digit growth in ridership -- the +8,000,000 rides.

Lets not get on that some 40,000 people that already work downtown.

I'm a college student and I would definately use streetcars if they had better routes. I would use the bus system too if it had routes all over! It would be better for all of us (and the environment), and would attract a lot jobs and tourism! In the meantime I'm planning to move to Chicago after graduation. GREAT public transportation.

Obviously, you are a shut-in and I feel very sorry for you. My kids and I lived in Grand Rapids, and we frequented and enjoyed Rosa Parks Circle many times for Blues On The Mall, and Ice Skating which was FREE. What a wonderful thing for the city of GR to create. My children and I even enjoyed visiting when no one was about just to sit, reflect, and talk about who Rosa was and WHY there was a park with her name on it. YOU my friend would benefit greatly from travel outside the US. You have absolutely no clue what it is like to live anywhere else and are enjoying spoils and entitlement to which you have no thankfulness for. What a pity. I'm feeling sorry for your family members, who are probably long gone, and who probably fought to ensure your freedoms. I'd happily buy you a plane ticket to fly to any other country to spend 6 months and find out what it's really like outside the USA.

Taxpayers wrote:

It's another one of those "bright idea" mistakes that Grand Rapids is famous for. It will be on the same level as the awful Rosa Parks Circle - which is literally just a slab of concrete and an ampitheatre shell (which was there before all of the hoopla and wasted funds.) Taxpayers, once again, will cough up the money so that one of the local families or foundations can fluff themselves for having "originated" this wonderful concept. We cannot even afford to pay for the RAPID riders, and we want to have streetcars?!? Unless somebody is willing to give up their welfare stipends, and get a job to contribute to the tax base, I'd have to say that this is a lousy idea. I'm tired of paying.

Out of Towner wrote:

Obviously, you are a shut-in and I feel very sorry for you. My kids and I lived in Grand Rapids, and we frequented and enjoyed Rosa Parks Circle many times for Blues On The Mall, and Ice Skating which was FREE. What a wonderful thing for the city of GR to create. My children and I even enjoyed visiting when no one was about just to sit, reflect, and talk about who Rosa was and WHY there was a park with her name on it. YOU my friend would benefit greatly from travel outside the US. You have absolutely no clue what it is like to live anywhere else and are enjoying spoils and entitlement to which you have no thankfulness for. What a pity. I'm feeling sorry for your family members, who are probably long gone, and who probably fought to ensure your freedoms. I'd happily buy you a plane ticket to fly to any other country to spend 6 months and find out what it's really like outside the USA.
<quoted text>

Thank you.

If this will bring in money for GR, great. But what about cost to start it up? This city seems to have money issues, how can they foot this bill but ask public saftey to take a huge cute?

FYI wrote:

Total annual ridership is up 15.2%, or 986,430 from FY05 (6,473,454) to FY06 (7,459,884)and on september 28th they hit the 8,000,000 riders mark for this year.
http://www.ridetherapid.org/about/reports/rid...
The city does not want to build this system for people on welfare. Streetcars have proven to attract young professionals to the city center and encourage development around the stations.
Taxpayer, Show me any skyscraper that was paid for with cash. No construction is paid for while being built or soon after. It is all financed.

I have to agree with FYI on all counts. Ridership is growing, even without GVSU and DASH riders. Also please factor in the cost of gas. Each time gas prices increase, so does the ridership and it doesn't appear that gas will be going down anytime in our lifetime.

Urbanist wrote:

Heres a little tid bit about Portland's streetcar system, for all you ignorant whiners:
"Since opening for service in 2001, the streetcar has helped Portland's urban core leverage approximately $3 billion in private reinvestment. That includes more than 7,200 housing units and 4.6 million square feet of retail, office, hotel, and institutional space. Remarkably, all of that redevelopment is located within two blocks of the streetcar route.
Even as regional population grows, the streetcar has enabled Portlanders to reduce automotive miles travelled, protect air quality, and respond to ecological concerns like climate change.
The innovative public transit system also is improving mobility for residents and workers of all ages, income levels, and ability. A system originally projected to transport 3,500 riders per day carried more than 9,000 by 2005.
"The streetcar is a tremendous economic, environmental, and social improvement tool," says Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams."
-Rapid Growth.com

zot say.....for all its worth grand rapids is not portland never was never will be
zot also say..it is highly doubtful that all posts pertaining to this not in your line of sight are as you so eloquently put it"ignorant whiners"
you posts facts on a system that by in large works in large cities with a core job base

When pigs fly!
Who will pay for this government fiasco.
Better bet is that GRAND development on riverfront.
Lets dig canals, like a previous angry writer. Not only could we fish, but swim too, making Milennium Park a future waste water facility. Because GR will grow sooo much with this new trans system we will have to dump bad idea's somewhere!