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Rivertown Crossings kicks out The RAPID

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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OneSweetWorld Whistle-Stop

OneSweetWorld

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I guess at the Grandville City Council meeting last night, Council member Stan Ponstein said something must be done. He says the drop-off point is "unacceptable," and that if the situation remains unchanged, the city might have to review its relationship with ITP. There's a paragraph about it in the Ada to Zeeland section of the Press.

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tamias6 Town

tamias6

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Good! I hope the City of Grandville makes Zimmerman's life miserable for what he did. The only thing that would satisfy me is to put the bus stop right back where it was..period.

I guess at the Grandville City Council meeting last night, Council member Stan Ponstein said something must be done. He says the drop-off point is "unacceptable," and that if the situation remains unchanged, the city might have to review its relationship with ITP. There's a paragraph about it in the Ada to Zeeland section of the Press.
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tamias6 Town

tamias6

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Wholely agreed. An apology added to the return of the bus stop to where it was is needed. I'm also happy to read the letter to the press editior. That tell's me that the are other voices out there that don't like what happened one bit. I'm really hoping that there will be enough voices heard to make Zimmerman back off and fix the problem he caused.

...and an apology to the RAPID and its riders might be in order. There have been quite a few letters to the editor in the press about it this week, including another one today.
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tamias6 Town

tamias6

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I don't think it would be in the best interest to the City of Grandville to do somthing as drastic as booting the RAPID out of the city. It might be a simple as talking to the RAPID to get their side of the story. If I were in control of Grandville, I would be deliberating legal options against the Mall to force them to put the bus stop back at the entrance because, atleast in my eyes, Mall Managment's decision is clearly stepping over the "discrimination" threshold.

Change its relationship with the ITP????

so is Stan Ponstein conceding to the Mall then? Instead of listening to the citizens, and the Police he chooses to believe what Zimmerman is saying? :huh:

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Here's the whole blip from the paper:

GRANDVILLE: City Council member Stan Ponstein said Monday that RiverTown Crossings mall's recent decision to bar Interurban Transit Partnership buses from a drop-off point near its entrance is "unacceptable," and both parties need to find a resolution. ITP, which provides bus service throughout Grand Rapids and surrounding communities, recently was banished to a drop-off point at the outer edge of the mall parking lot. Mall manager Randy Zimmerman said the decision was in response to rowdy behavior by some bus patrons. Ponstein said the city might have to review its relationship with ITP If the situation remains unchanged.

The last statement is confusing without the context of being at the meeting. The city of Grandville has a seat on the board of the Interurban Transit Partnership.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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I'm certainly not a security expert, but I could probably think of 12 - 13 answers to that question without even giving it much thought. But seriously though,

- What does the mall do when there are rowdy people outside the movie theater, or in the ramps below, or outside the lower level front entrance as I have seen?

- What are those guys driving around in little Ford Escape's with the flashers on top doing? Can't they patrol it around bus pickup time?

- Install a camera with a sign that the area is "under surveillance to protect RAPID passengers" (even if it doesn't work, people won't know that).

- What about piping in classical music in that area? Or MUZAK? How about making the bus pickup area more visible to other people? Troublemakers are less likely to make trouble if they think that other people are watching.

- What about putting the bus stop right outside TGIF, where there are usually people waiting to get into the restaurant? Punks are less likely to make trouble in full daylight, and near a bookstore. Plus, the piped in "predatory bird sounds" that they have going out in front to keep birds away will probably keep the unruly ones in check.

- Actually make the bus pickup area smaller so that it's harder to "loiter".

BTW: I'm not at all defending the behavior of bad individuals. They need to be strictly dealt with.

The RAPID is looking at a millage renewal and a possible request for more funding for service enhancements, so perhaps Rivertown can share the cost of hiring a security/design consultant to come up with a great solution (that would be much better than just moving the bus stop back). I think that would show that Rivertown was serious about solving the problem.

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snoogit Town

snoogit

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The consensus on this forum seems to be for Rivertown to put the bus stop back where it was.

If that is done, what is the solution to the malls original problem with unruly and intimidating individuals near the mall entrance? Everyone is ready to bash the mall, but what is the solution to the malls problem?

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torgo Town

torgo

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I agree the statement is confusing. ITP moved the stop at the request of Zimmerman, right? ITP is consistently bending over backwards for property owners and businesses who have issues with the location of a bus stop. They have done nothing wrong.

The best way to deal with the "rowdy" behavior would be, as GRDad suggested, move the stop to some place more visible and tell them there will be a security camera, even if there's not. Also, the mall security people could swing by the stop during peak riding times. ITP tracks information like that, and could probably tell the security folks when that stop is the busiest.

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tamias6 Town

tamias6

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Good! Score 1 for the people. Droping off riders under the movie theater is an even better solution than the arrangment that was there before all this hub bub started. Also Meijer will get some reward since it appears that the main bus stop area will be just outside the store which means additional customers for them.

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Sunlover38 Whistle-Stop

Sunlover38

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The Rapid has handicapped accessible buses (smaller than the full size bus) I saw that pull right up to the entrance at Younkers to let people off . . this was over a week ago . . .

When is the boycott of Woodland Mall & all Meijers going to start? They have been dropping off in the boonies forever . . . . . . .

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tamias6 Town

tamias6

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At least Woodland Mall provides sheltered bus stops and the walk is not quite as far as was the pre-compramise bus stop at River Town Crossings. The nearest entrence to Woodland Mall from its bus stops is the SW Sears entrence which is a walk of about 150 to 200 paces.

As for Meijer, I haven't heard of the RAPID approaching Meijer, Inc to gain permisssion to move bus stops to store entrances. Though I think massive brownie points and a bolstering of an already very good public relations could be earned if Meijer appraoched the RAPID on the idea to start droping riders off at store entrances. However, I have seen GO! Buses drop riders directly at store entrances. Also the Standale Meijer sees bussing services from local retirement homes drop riders directly at that store's grocery entrance.

The Rapid has handicapped accessible buses (smaller than the full size bus) I saw that pull right up to the entrance at Younkers to let people off . . this was over a week ago . . .

When is the boycott of Woodland Mall & all Meijers going to start? They have been dropping off in the boonies forever . . . . . . .

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