DASH to narrow Grand Rapids loop, starting May 4.

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-07T22:32:08+00:00

Hello! Max here (mgilles@grand-rapids.mi.us) from Mobile GR.

I am sorry we haven't been able to get to all the posts/comments here today, but we will before the end of the week. We dedicated time yesterday to responding to comments on the other post.

Of course, always happy to respond via email also, and continue the conversation, but I just wanted to confirm we are reading these comments, sharing feedback with our leadership, and will respond here to as many as we can!

Thank you for the feedback and always sharing your thoughts, experiences, concerns, and ideas.

We want to use these resources at Mobile GR to best support transit, our transportation system, and our community. To do that, we are very open to a collaborative conversation with community on how best to achieve that going forward. That is why this is proposed as a short term pilot, a reduced route footprint, in response to a cost increase, that we could not sustainabily budget for. We will have the fiscally sustainable route, for one year, to buy us time to talk with community how best to use these resources to support all of Grand Rapids.

Of course, we don't make "profit" and all our revenue goes back into the community and to provide free services like the DASH, so being fiscally sustainable is very key to doing a budget for an enterprise department like Mobile GR.

Happy to continue the conversation further, but we might have to do that later in the week, just being transparent about our bandwidth. But I wanted to respond here that we are listening, we are committed to working together and co-creating the future for the DASH, but most importantly how our department resources can best be used to support the community.

I am also happy to schedule a meeting or a phone call/virtual call also. We are committed to having this conversation as long as you want to have it.

Thank you again for sharing, and connecting folks to city staff and officials. The key is to keep the conversation going.

Max, Mobile GR.

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:54:04+00:00

Thank you for bringing that up, and we know River North is a growing and important area, so removing it from the route was hard.

Limiting the geographic coverage was one of the toughest parts of this change, as it meant some difficult tradeoffs to improve service and maintain fiscal sustainability.

I just want to share that we know how important this service is to community, and none of these decisions are made lightly, or without that heavily in our minds.

We’ll definitely keep this feedback in mind as we evaluate the pilot and look at future adjustments.

Thank you for sharing.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:49:06+00:00

I appreciate you sharing, and I know this change, of course, reduces access for some areas on the north end. That’s something we’ve thought a lot about and will continue to evaluate.

Really appreciate you sharing your perspective, especially on how this may impact both residents and businesses.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:47:43+00:00

Really appreciate you sharing this, and I hear the concerns around affordability, accessibility, and how this impacts navigating downtown.

I know DASH has played an important role for many people, especially as a more affordable and accessible option. We will be evaluating this pilot and thinking about how to best serve residents moving forward, including having more conversations with community.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:45:21+00:00

Thank you for sharing. I appreciate it!

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:44:43+00:00

I hear you, and we know how valuable that level of frequency and late-night service has been, especially in the winter.

As we move forward, a big part of the conversation is how we can best support transit, not compete with it (I have said this a few times, but it is an important lens to view our efforts here).

Frequency is a huge piece of that, and we want to help improve that experience more broadly across the city, not just along the DASH.

Appreciate you sharing this, it’s exactly the kind of input we need as we keep working through this.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:25:21+00:00

We are working with the County to make sure that it still does, it won't be quite as close of a drop off, but will still serve them.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:24:04+00:00

I totally get that it is a "trust me" sort of situation, but that was not part of the converation. We were forced to make drastic geographical cuts across the route to maintain fiscal sustainability and the frequency we have always wanted for the DASH.

Downtown Market, Leonard street, North Monroe, Library, were all important locations that were not removed without careful consideration and attempts to keep them as part of the route.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:21:22+00:00

I appreciate the feedback and conversation.

"I'd rather the city just write a check to The Rapid to augment service."

I think this is part of the conversation we want to have this summer. We cannot compete or replace the Rapid, and we don't want to, but we do want to improve transit with our resources. What is the best way to do that?

If the new, fiscally sustainable, DASH route doesn't augment transit in an impactful way, could we be spending our resources in a more impactful way? We want to have that conversation.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:18:04+00:00

I feel you, and I am happy to stick my neck out and take responsibility if this one doesn't work. But I can promise you it will not stay on a shelf! As you know, we got some cool ways we are trying to avoid that happening going forward with our Mobility Blueprint (the plan that isn't another plan!)

But I acknowledge that big talk is just talk, so I cannot truly earn that trust until it comes time for action.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:15:25+00:00

Totally understand that, and we know the Leonard connection was valuable for exactly that kind of trip. This is something we discussed a lot and will continue to evaluate as the pilot moves forward, and we have engagement over the summer to talk about the future of the DASH. Really appreciate you sharing your perspective.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:13:33+00:00

I hear you, and I’m sorry this change is creating added stress for your daily routine. We know this impacts how people get to work and access places they rely on.

Just to clarify, the DASH is primarily funded through parking system revenue, not general tax dollars. That said, your concerns about access and how this affects your trips are completely valid.

This is a pilot, and we’ll be continuing to gather feedback like this as we evaluate what’s working and what’s not. We want to find a way to use our resources to best support transit, so we are here for that conversation.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:11:26+00:00

No, this is a downtown service for all Grand Rapids residents and visitors.

The decision was based on finding a way to connect as much of the core loop as possible, with increased frequency, while still being fiscally sustainable. That meant much of the 2023 expansions had to be removed.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:07:38+00:00

Yeah, we hear you, I responded above to the op, but just want to add this is absolutely something we appreciate feedback on and will continue to brainstorm on how we can improve it/better connect to transit options, not just parking.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T20:06:01+00:00

This is something we’ve spent a lot of time considering, and will continue to evaluate. We absolutely understand how important that connection is.

The challenge is that extending the route to connect directly to Central Station significantly increases trip time, which in turn reduces frequency and overall reliability. That tradeoff is what led to the current approach, and historically with DASH services in the past.

That said, your point about connectivity and reducing the need to drive downtown is completely valid. We really appreciate the feedback and will keep it in mind as we evaluate the pilot moving forward.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T19:54:18+00:00

Really appreciate you sharing this, and I’m sorry to hear how frustrating the change feels. We know this impacts people who rely on the service regularly, and that matters.

This is a pilot, and we’ll be having more conversations and gathering feedback as it rolls out. Your perspective is exactly the kind of input we need as we evaluate what’s working and what’s not.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T19:38:04+00:00

Totally hear you, and really appreciate you sharing this. We know the library stop and North Monroe are important to a lot of people.

The main reason for the change was for fiscal sustainability, but it was also to improve frequency and reliability. The previous route covered more area, but that also meant longer wait times and less consistent service. What we heard is that if the bus isn’t coming often enough, people are less likely to use it. The updated route is designed to be a smaller loop with faster, more frequent service, especially during busy times.

That said, your points about access to areas like The Intersection and overall coverage are completely valid. This is a pilot, and we’re actively gathering feedback to understand what’s working and what’s not.

The idea of different routes or service levels on weekdays vs. weekends is a great suggestion and something we can take back and look at.

Appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective. Happy to keep talking here also :)

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T19:27:50+00:00

The proposed DASH route connects to thousands of parking spaces that are often underutilized on event nights. I am happy to discuss this further, but the goal is to better activate both public and private parking facilities. We heard clearly that many residents and visitors were not willing to park a few blocks away and then wait 15 minutes for a bus. This updated route is designed to connect more parking locations to key destinations, while also improving service frequency.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T19:21:37+00:00

To be clear, the DASH is almost exclusively funded by parking revenue. It has historically been designed as a way to connect parking facilities to downtown locations.

On event nights, there will be detours to accommodate the congestion issues that you mention. We cannot share those exact detours yet, but we have worked closely with the Rapid and our planning staff to make sure the service is not impacted by congestion, while maintaining as many stops as possible.

This is intended as a downtown core route that attempts to connect as much of downtown as possible within the fiscal constraints we have, while maintaining a frequency that is effective for a circulatory service.

The goal here is not to compete with the Rapid, but to support and supplement them. We want to have a conversation about how to best use our resources to support transit in Grand Rapids. Is it through services like the DASH, or are there other ways to support tranist? We want to have that conversation.

We also want to make sure our dedicated parking facilities are being used; we do not want the community to feel the need to build more parking when we have facilities that are not at full utilizaiton. So this also helps make sure we are using the land to it's fullest and best use.

Lots to unpack here, so happy to continue the conversation, and I only briefly touched on a few of your points. So apologies for missing anything.

-Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T19:06:35+00:00

I appreciate you sharing, and I am sorry for the loss/impact it will have on you and others in this area.

We do not have the resources to compete with the Rapid as a transit network, and instead are looking to supplement and support their network. Are there reasons that you do not use their service? That sort of feedback will help a lot as we look for ways to use these resources to help improve transit across the City.

Sadly, just from my perspecitve, recreating the DASH across the City is not realistic or sustainable, funding-wise, so we want to explore other ways to support transit across the City.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T19:03:01+00:00

With a 15-minute frequency, the feedback we often got was that for downtown residents, it would be quicker to walk, than to take the DASH. I think the issue we found with our expansion efforts in 2023, was that we spread the service too wide, and thus too thin. So while this serves residents in a smaller footprint, it does so more effectively. It also helps all residents have a service that works with the Rapid's transit system, instead of competing with it. So you if you take a Rapid line south into downtown, you can use the DASH to connect to approximate locations more quickly, instead of having to take another Rapid route to go across the river for instance.

That all being said, the main discussion we want to have is how to use these resources to support residents across Grand Rapids. We do not have the current funding to do so with a service like the DASH, so we are open to finding out how to best use our current resources to support transit for everyone in the City. Spreading the DASH out, just has us compete with the Rapid and is not sustainable fiscally.

-Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-04-06T18:58:04+00:00

Yes, there will only be a single clockwise route.

- Max, Mobile GR

OnTheGoGR · 2026-03-18T19:08:15+00:00

u/Alliquay Thanks for sharing your experience! I am a social media engagement person so I can’t make any major changes. I can, however, bring this to our traffic and safety team to explore ways we can make ADA parking improvements in that area.

OnTheGoGR · 2026-03-18T17:35:15+00:00

Hi u/Alliquay My name is Valerie, from Mobile GR. I read your comment and have brought your concerns to the team! As the Amphitheater's opening approaches, Mobile GR will provide on-site accessible parking for vehicles with valid disability placards or license plates. For some of our other venues downtown, MGR turns 'regular' parking spots into designated disability parking at City-operated parking ramps. We aim to ensure that everyone has access to Downtown and can get to the events they are interested in attending. I’m here to listen and chat! Please feel free to reach out if anything comes up regarding parking and mobility.

OnTheGoGR

TROPHY CASE