GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The city of Grand Rapids’ transit system was 42% below pre-pandemic ridership in 2023 while its operating expenses increased by 7% over the past four years.
The Rapid, the city’s transit system, is suffering from the same drop in ridership many transit agencies are dealing with in the post-pandemic world where many riders have not returned.
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The transit agency ran 10.47 million trips in 2019; that dropped to 6.04 million in 2023, according to data recently released from the Federal Transit Administration.
The Rapid’s fare revenues dropped from $9.39 million in 2019 to $8.19 million in 2023 while operating expenses increased from $47.55 million to $50.98 million during that four-year span.
The Rapid relied on a big boost from federal pandemic funds during those four years. Federal funding for its operating expenses increased from $2.46 million in 2019 to $12.94 million in 2023.
In August, The Rapid announced it would provide service at no cost to Grand Rapids Community College employees and students in a one-year pilot program.
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