Grand Valley Challenges Campus to Participate in Active Commute Week

Each spring Grand Valley partners with the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition to present Active Commute Week. Employees are asked to log their time spent in carpools, buses, bikes, or alternative modes of transportation to win awards and prizes.

The week, typically in May, is filled with events like bicycle maintenance workshops, group rides, and bike shop discounts. The weeklong challenge aims at raising awareness of alternative transportation options that are more environmentally efficient and benefit employees’ health at the same time. 

The Rapid partnership All routes on The Rapid are free for GVSU students and faculty and staff members, including routes to and from the Allendale Campus, Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus, and Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences. Our partnership has helped the Interurban Transit Partnership (ITP) achieve its national ranking of No. 1 for its size among other urban transit systems with more than two million bus rides per year. Visit gvsu.edu/bus/.

GreenRide GreenRide is a carpool program available to everyone in the greater Grand Rapids area and surrounding counties, including Allegan, Kent, and Ottawa. It pairs drivers with riders from similar locales with similar commute schedules. Sharing the ride with just one other person can reduce your commuting costs by 50 percent. To learn more, click on “Share a Ride” at gvsu.edu/bus/. 

Bike or walk Stay in shape while reducing the impact on our environment. Through its campus master plan, GVSU maintains the feasibility of walking from one end of campus to the other in less than 10 minutes.

Reduce travel time Save on expenses and greenhouse gas emissions. Combine errands into one trip or skip the trip altogether by using online technology to attend meetings and classes.

Take the bus Riding the bus saves gasoline and minimizes carbon emissions. Look for schedules and hours of operation at gvsu.edu/bus or ridetherapid.com/.

Rideshare and carpooling Sharing a ride, or carpooling, is a great way to save money on your commute and reduce traffic congestion. There are a number of ride-sharing options available to the GVSU community at gvsu.edu/bus/rideshare-carpooling-65.htm