The Grand Rapids region is growing faster than anywhere else in the state of Michigan. A significant portion of that growth is along the northern terminus of the The Rapid‘s Silver Line BRT service in downtown Grand Rapids. As part of the Division United initiative that will identify strategies to spur Transit Oriented Development (TOD) along the Silver Line corridor, Team Better Block powered by WGI is conducting a series of Better Block projects along the corridor.

Our team will engage with the local community to create enhanced public spaces, calmed streets, pop-up businesses, and public art. We will partner with local volunteers to build these Better Block installations.

The goal of the overall project is to integrate land use and transportation planning with transit capital investments, thereby improving economic development, ridership, accessibility, and catalyzing private sector development. Using the outcomes and lessons learned from these Better Block pilot projects, WGI will make recommendations on how to incorporate these strategies into the overall Silver Line TOD plan.