Public Transportation
You don’t need to rely on your own vehicle to get around Grand Rapids. We have a variety of public transportation options that will get you where you want to go – quickly, conveniently and affordably.
The Rapid is our award-winning bus transit system. With 249 vehicles covering 185 square miles, it’s an easy way to travel between downtown and surrounding areas – including East Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Wyoming and Walker, as well as the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
Check out this quick guide on how to ride and where to go, and visit ridetherapid.org for schedules, maps and other resources. Check their site for real-time schedule tracking, or download the free myStop or Transit app from Google Play or the App Store.
The adult fare for The Rapid bus system is $1.75 per ride, with a daily fare cap of $5.25. You can pay with cash, contactless payment or a Wave card. Riders using cash should pay the exact fare, as change cannot be provided. Transfers are not provided when paying cash fare. With Wave cards and contactless payment, you just tap your card or smartphone at the bus reader every time you board, and you have 105 minutes to make all the transfers you like. You will be charged an additional fare beyond that initial 105 minutes.
Most transfers are made at Rapid Central Station, which is just steps from Founders Brewing Company in downtown Grand Rapids. You can buy and reload Wave cards here, get bus schedules and talk to a representative for help in planning your trip.
All Rapid buses – including the DASH Bus below – are accessible for mobility aids such as wheelchairs, electric scooters, walkers and crutches. Bus operators are trained to assist customers with disabilities boarding or exiting the vehicle. Service animals are welcome. Rapid buses are also equipped with bike racks – here’s how to use them.
The DASH is a free route that navigates downtown, making it an easy option explore various spots in the city center.
Photo by Nick Irwin for Experience GR
The Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) is a service of Mobile GR and the City of Grand Rapids. It runs a continuous route, clockwise and counterclockwise, to quickly transport you to where you want to go. No ticket or pass is required, just board the bright pink bus at any of the 23 stops marked with street signs and sidewalk markers.
The DASH makes it easy to access 200+ restaurants, shops, breweries, bars, attractions and entertainment venues – from south (including Founders Brewing Co. and the Grand Rapids Downtown Market) to north (The Mitten Brewing Company and Long Road Distillers) and east (Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, JW Marriott Hotel and DeVos Place Convention Center) to west (Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Bridge Street entertainment district). Just make sure you’re on the right side of the street for transport to your destination.
The DASH passes every stop every 15 minutes from 7:00 am-12:00 am Monday-Friday, 11:00 am-1:00 am Saturday and 11:00am - 5:00pm Sunday. Get real-time schedules and service hours by downloading the Transit App (iOS & Android).
If you are traveling to the downtown area with your own vehicle, consider parking in one of the DASH lots for just $3-4 a day and using the DASH to get around downtown. This is an especially smart option for events that bring thousands of visitors to downtown, such as ArtPrize, World of Winter and other cultural festivals, as well as events at DeVos Performance Hall, DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena.
Grand Rapids also offers a wide variety of taxi, rideshare, limousine, wheelchair transport, vehicle rental and other transportation services. Scroll to the bottom of our Transportation & Maps page for a list of providers.
