The number of students, faculty and staff at Grand Valley who are choosing to park their cars and ride the bus to classes and area stores and shops continues to be on the rise. In September 2002, Grand Valley provided about 40,000 rides per month to students. In September 2004, the number of rides jumped to 120,000. This staggering increase is the result of months of work between Grand Valley and the Grand Rapids' public transportation system, and a communication campaign geared at students and the community. The success shows in the high number of students taking a survey conducted by the university, where 90 percent rated the bus service as good or excellent.
"We knew increasing transportation options for our students was critical," said Lisa Haynes, director of Operations for the Pew Campus and Regional Centers. "The Allendale Campus is 14 miles from our growing downtown Grand Rapids Pew Campus. Both campuses are very connected and dependent on one another and many students take classes on both campuses."
The university's partnership with the city's public transportation system is unique. Grand Valley is the 19th university in the U.S. to develop this type of relationship. The university has an annual contract and is billed monthly at about $49 per bus per hour.
Tim Schad, vice president for Finance and Administration at Grand Valley, said the program has had a significant impact on the economy and environment. "In the 2004-2005 school year, we saved the students almost $2.4 million in car operating costs and more than 230,000 gallons of gas * the same amount as 19 of the large gas tankers you see driving on the highway."
Haynes said offering free and frequent transportation options for students makes the university stronger and it also makes sense financially to expand bus service each year to help limit investment in new parking structures.
Similar to the dramatic growth in bus ridership, Grand Valley has known phenomenal growth since it was established in 1960. Each decade, enrollment has jumped dramatically with Grand Valley currently serving more than 23,000 students.
Bus Ridership Increases:
2000-2001 98,821 riders
2001-2002 178,913 riders (81.05% increase from year before)
2002-2003 252,127 riders (40.92% increase from year before)
2003-2004 547,557 riders (117.18% increase from year before)
2004-2005 809,194 riders (47.78% increase from year before)
Grand Valley's "Campus Connector" runs between the Allendale and Pew campuses every 15 minutes, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday service runs from noon until 8 p.m. On Friday and Saturday nights, a "Weekend Connector" alternates between RiverTown Crossings Mall and the transit center.
Grand Valley is also conducting a six week trial in collaboration with the Allendale Chamber of Commerce that has buses stopping between the Allendale Campus and businesses along M-45 in Allendale.
For more information, contact Lisa Haynes at 616-331-6702, or Grand Valley's News and Information Services department at 616-331-2221.
