This study is being used in Grand Rapids as a component of the 20-year improvement plan that will bring streetcars, speedy high-tech buses and routes that run more often until midnight and on Sundays.
Not only is public transportation essential for those who work low-wage jobs, but it has been increasingly desirable by younger populations who want to live and work in urban environments. Other key points from the study include:
- Statewide, money that people saved by taking the bus added $264.4 million to Michigan's economy. In Grand Rapids, the $31 million that The Rapid spends to operate its systems creates $43 million in "social benefits" because riders spent their savings on other things. That includes $17 million in work-related spending, $3.8 million in health-care-related spending, $8 million in retail-related spending, and $9.9 million in education-related spending.
- Statewide, transit operations sustained 9,200 jobs in 2009 and contributed $1 billion to the economy.
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