GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – After years of planning and construction, United States Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood helped dedicate the new state-of-the-art bus transit facility in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. The Wealthy Operations Center project will house the Rapid bus system’s dispatch center, maintenance facility, and training center. Secretary LaHood was joined at the event with U.S. Senator Carl Levin and Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell.

Watch the WOOD-TV video, the WZZM TV video and read the article about it from the Grand Rapids Press.

Successes like this show what Michigan is capable of when it comes to the future of transit, a key to revitalizing Michigan as outlined in the League’s Center for 21st Century Communities (21c3) initiative.

Jason Mancini works for the Michigan Municipal League handling transportation issues. He can be reached at 517-908-0303 or email at [email protected]

The Rapid transit system in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Photo by Michigan Municipal League)