The Rapid has been awarded $6 million through a state transit grant program to buy up to six buses and expand service during major downtown events, including concerts at Acrisure Amphitheater and soccer matches at Amway Stadium.

The funding comes through Michigan’s Infrastructure Projects Authority Fund, a grant program supporting what state officials describe as “transformational” public transportation projects.

Jeffrey King, who works in governmental and external affairs for The Rapid, said the buses will help the agency carry more riders and provide more frequent service, reducing wait times and improving connections between park-and-ride facilities and downtown destinations.

“It’s really intended to help improve the regional connections supporting downtown,” King said.

A second grant, estimated at about $3 million, is expected in 2027 or 2028 to help cover the cost of expanded service, King said. The funding would help pay bus operators and other costs associated with putting additional buses on the road during major events.

The Rapid has not determined which routes would receive additional service, King said. However, the Silver Line and Routes 2, 4, 9 and 11 regularly experience increased demand during major downtown events.

The proposal grew out of the agency’s experience moving passengers in and out of downtown during the amphitheater’s inaugural season, King said.

“We kind of used this past summer as a learning opportunity to see how people were moving around, where the capacity was, where the crunch times were,” he said. “We just saw this as an opportunity to expand on those lessons learned and continue to provide additional service throughout event seasons.”

In addition to the amphitheater and soccer stadium, the grant is intended to provide a boost for when events are also happening at Van Andel Arena, DeVos Place and DeVos Performance Hall, according to the state.

While The Rapid did not receive significant rider complaints during the venue’s first season, agency data showed major events contributed to delays around Central Station, causing some buses to run behind schedule.

Adding buses and increasing service frequency could help reduce those impacts, King said.

The Rapid’s fleet includes about 130 buses, King said.

King said the expanded service is designed to benefit not only eventgoers but also downtown employees, including hospitality, entertainment, retail and service workers who rely on public transportation.

The Rapid plans to track ridership, service reliability and congestion impacts as the program rolls out, with long-term funding expected to come from a combination of fares, local transit funding and partnerships with downtown institutions and event venues, according to the state.

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