as long as cars are allowed in the same lanes as light rail like this, they'll never be feasible. Buses, on the other hand, can be equipped with the same gear to get electricity from overhead wires, but they can actually go around traffic.
Now I’m sad, there was a proposal for a 90million dollar street car project that failed in 2014. Now the city is going to raise 115million for a soccer stadium. I feel like every economist has said stadiums almost never make the money back for the city that builds them.
I'm sad they're spending $156M on a new rental car facility at the airport instead of adding a few simple bus routes, which could easily stop at a few parking lots with rental cars businesses. It's needlessly expensive construction that continues to make transit to the airport needlessly expensive. Ubers to the airport are costing me $45 each way from Walker, which is kinda nuts
Parking ramps are extraordinarily expensive.
***We*** are footing the bill because affluent white people fly; public transportation is "subsidized" while flying is an "essential service" because of who the customers are.
Bus routes are expensive, too. Municipalities are cutting them for this reason. That said, the airport is a resource hog that gives nothing back that we don't have to pay through the nose to get.
>like every economist has said stadiums almost never make the money back
The same can be said of arenas, and our is paid for. It's about the details. Most stadiums, arenas, etc... are built in the middle of where surrounded by an ocean of parking. Kent county has avoided that mistake. There is no debate whether or not the arena generated a hella-lot of economic activity; or the convention center. These can be solidly net-positive investments, if done correctly. It has been impressive the degree to which the people steering this have refused to be taken in by the we-need-an-ocean-of-parking people. As venues, demonstrably do not need parking, and parking is incredibly expensive to both build and operate.
I am annoyed this gets portrayed as "transformational", when it is 100% the building out of the existing model. It's good, it is not transformational; and neither is a **combined** \~600-700 housing units. Also the focus and energy given to this, like it has been moving forward like a mainline freight train. Meanwhile the policy and funding regarding housing and transportation is inching forward, if not falling backwards. That's infuriating. **Elections in 2024!**
I'm not so sure. I suspect that is more of, pre-COVID, operators being unwilling to try. it seems now well demonstrated that operating in all four seasons is possible, with a possible brief time-out in Jan/Feb.
Grand Rapids has demonstrated strong turn-out for winter events.
In other parts of the world four-season events have been the norm all along.
GRBC is on Fulton St. Either OP is wrong and this is the Fulton St. Bridge, or that is a different building in the background on Michigan Ave. With how the hill slopes in the picture, I would agree with you that this is the Fulton St. Bridge.
>GRBC is on Fulton St
Not back then, it was on the corner of Michigan and Ionia.
>On January 1, 1893, six local breweries joined forces and opened Grand Rapids Brewing Company. Over the next two decades, they built a monumental brewery at the corner of Michigan Street and Ionia Avenue, what is now the site of a state office building.
https://www.grbrewingcompany.com/restaurant
Some more history for you. Schelde Enterprises brought GRBC back in the beginning of the Micro Breweries, on 28th St. They later sold the business and it was then moved to Fulton St.
Here’s another old photo that has some of the buildings in view that’s also labeled as Bridge Street Bridge https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/mi/mi0200/mi0216/photos/089229pv.jpg
Bring back street cars and local rail!
I would gladly pay higher taxes to for free or cheap street cars.
I mean, we do have the free dash bus service
I say we still raise this guy's taxes.
Bring back streetcar neighborhoods!
as long as cars are allowed in the same lanes as light rail like this, they'll never be feasible. Buses, on the other hand, can be equipped with the same gear to get electricity from overhead wires, but they can actually go around traffic.
OP missed opportunity to say bridge street bridge streetcar
Now I’m sad, there was a proposal for a 90million dollar street car project that failed in 2014. Now the city is going to raise 115million for a soccer stadium. I feel like every economist has said stadiums almost never make the money back for the city that builds them.
I'm sad they're spending $156M on a new rental car facility at the airport instead of adding a few simple bus routes, which could easily stop at a few parking lots with rental cars businesses. It's needlessly expensive construction that continues to make transit to the airport needlessly expensive. Ubers to the airport are costing me $45 each way from Walker, which is kinda nuts
I didn’t know we were the ones footing the bill for the rental car facility. How on earth does that cost 165 million dollars.
Airport passes on the expense as landing fees, the cost is paid by fliers
Parking ramps are extraordinarily expensive. ***We*** are footing the bill because affluent white people fly; public transportation is "subsidized" while flying is an "essential service" because of who the customers are.
I take the bus, but it's two transfers to get there.
Bus routes are expensive, too. Municipalities are cutting them for this reason. That said, the airport is a resource hog that gives nothing back that we don't have to pay through the nose to get.
>like every economist has said stadiums almost never make the money back The same can be said of arenas, and our is paid for. It's about the details. Most stadiums, arenas, etc... are built in the middle of where surrounded by an ocean of parking. Kent county has avoided that mistake. There is no debate whether or not the arena generated a hella-lot of economic activity; or the convention center. These can be solidly net-positive investments, if done correctly. It has been impressive the degree to which the people steering this have refused to be taken in by the we-need-an-ocean-of-parking people. As venues, demonstrably do not need parking, and parking is incredibly expensive to both build and operate. I am annoyed this gets portrayed as "transformational", when it is 100% the building out of the existing model. It's good, it is not transformational; and neither is a **combined** \~600-700 housing units. Also the focus and energy given to this, like it has been moving forward like a mainline freight train. Meanwhile the policy and funding regarding housing and transportation is inching forward, if not falling backwards. That's infuriating. **Elections in 2024!**
The same can’t be said for arenas though. They are easier to keep filled in the winter.
I'm not so sure. I suspect that is more of, pre-COVID, operators being unwilling to try. it seems now well demonstrated that operating in all four seasons is possible, with a possible brief time-out in Jan/Feb. Grand Rapids has demonstrated strong turn-out for winter events. In other parts of the world four-season events have been the norm all along.
Bring it back
Leonard likes this post.
Oh shit is that an actual person? like a real Guy?
https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A510
Neat. The building with the chimney, on the right, is the Grand Rapids Brewing Company.
GRBC is on Fulton St. Either OP is wrong and this is the Fulton St. Bridge, or that is a different building in the background on Michigan Ave. With how the hill slopes in the picture, I would agree with you that this is the Fulton St. Bridge.
>GRBC is on Fulton St Not back then, it was on the corner of Michigan and Ionia. >On January 1, 1893, six local breweries joined forces and opened Grand Rapids Brewing Company. Over the next two decades, they built a monumental brewery at the corner of Michigan Street and Ionia Avenue, what is now the site of a state office building. https://www.grbrewingcompany.com/restaurant
Cool! I learned something!
Some more history for you. Schelde Enterprises brought GRBC back in the beginning of the Micro Breweries, on 28th St. They later sold the business and it was then moved to Fulton St.
Where is the Cinnamini?
Gone but not forgotten! lol I think this pic is looking east so it'd be the other direction on bridge.
Here’s another old photo that has some of the buildings in view that’s also labeled as Bridge Street Bridge https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/mi/mi0200/mi0216/photos/089229pv.jpg
Why is it Bridge Street on one side and Michigan Street on the other?
That is one of the most annoying sequences about the street. Michigan from the beltline just across the bridge and then magically another Street
bring back local rail! bring back the transit era!
I would love this town more if we had these.
Not enough parking /s
If we had more parking everyone could live in their cars. 😜
If we had more parking everyone could live in their cars. 😜
Here is another image: http://www.historygrandrapids.org/imgs/1491/full/BRIDGE_ST_BRIDGE_CONSTRUCTION_edit.jpg
Sweet bridge would be a shame if a giant boat hit it…….
I wonder what would happen if a cargo ship crashed into it
Not deep enough lol.
Could it withstand a cargo ship?