CUTLERVILLE, Mich. -- The Interurban Transit Partnership will launch its new Route 33 in the Walker industrial area Jan.2 and is considering the possibility of adding a new bus line in Cutlerville.
Gaines Township Supervisor Rob DeWard mentioned it at a township board meeting. And a spokeswoman for The Rapid, Cassi Cooper, confirmed to WOOD Radio that discussions are in the very early stages about a potential new route on 68th Street.
“They’re talking about running a line down 68th Street,” Supervisor Rob DeWard said at the township board’s Dec. 12 meeting. “It would go in front of Pine Rest and in front of the old South Christian High School (now the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center).
The Rapid already has a regular route that travels on 68th Street between Clyde Park and Division avenues. But the new conversation is about the possibility of extending the line eastward down to Broadmoor or Kraft avenues in Caledonia.
DeWard said The Rapid bus route would travel far enough to pick up passengers at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Dutton and Davenport University’s W.A. Lettinga Campus in Caledonia.
“They’re soliciting monies from businesses that would be served by this route, and they may be asking for the township to participate. That hasn’t happened yet,” DeWard said.
Cooper said the new route in Walker sparked the conversation about possibly adding a future bus line along the 68th Street corridor in Cutlerville.
"Spectrum Charter and other Walker businesses met with us to discuss transportation as one of their primary employee-retention challenges," Cooper said. "Our team reviewed employer needs, travel behavior and development patterns in the area, and determined there was a great need for a new route."
Route 33 in Walker will serve several businesses and staffing agencies. Some of the businesses located along the new route:
- Spectrum Charter
- Terra Smart
- Great Lakes Grilling
- Sherpack
- One Stop
- SunMed
- RSM
- Lime
- Central Industrial Packaging
- Sight Line Display
- Design Manufacturing
- Flexco
- Holiday Inn
- Grand Rapids Ophthalmology
- AES Automatic Door Frames
- Lumber 2 Love
- Blaze Fire Protection
- Tenibac
- Ridgeview Industries
- Standard Lifters
- Premier Finishing
- Area Recycling
- West Michigan Coating
- Peak Heating and Cooling
- Challenge Manufacturing
"We are very excited to be playing a key part in connecting our many communities to all the increasing employment possibilities in this area," Cooper said.
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James Gemmell
Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (center) attends a recent meeting at The Rapid transit center in Grand Rapids. She was joined by The Rapid CEO Deb Prato and Community Relations Specialist Adam Erber. Photo: Interurban Transit Partnership (The Rapid)