GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids' free downtown shuttle service saw ridership drop 61% in the first month after the city launched a new pilot route designed to save money while also serving the city's new amphitheater.
Public documents show ridership on the DASH shuttle is down 61% from the previous month. Ridership is also down 56% compared to May 2025 and down 69% compared to May 2019.
The city contracts The Rapid to run the shuttle service. The service was budgeted at around $3.2 million annually, a number that was estimated to significantly increase in 2026. City leaders launched the one-year pilot route because of those rising costs.
The new route, which started in May, focuses on the core of downtown and the major venues. The route and frequency between stops both shrank under the new plan. The city also added a stop to accommodate events at the amphitheater.
Teresa St. Clair, an avid DASH rider, said she has seen the changes.
"It was getting me down the place where I needed to be, but now it's not, so I don't like it now," St. Clair said.
"The difference is not that many people," St. Clair said.
Mobile GR Strategic Initiatives Manager Max Gilles acknowledged the drop in ridership is tied directly to the service cuts.
"We did a pretty significant amount of cuts in terms of service hours, so our service hours are a big indicator when we're assessing ridership," Gilles said.
I asked Gilles whether concerns about unhoused riders may have played a role in the ridership decline.
"So our DASH is meant for anyone who lives, visits, or works in the downtown area. We don't do any sort of ridership data collection based on, you know, something like that. So, so that is not part of our assessment," Gilles said.
St. Clair said she has noticed some changes on the shuttle.
"It's not trash like it used to be. It smells better," St. Clair said.
Despite the May numbers, city leaders say they are looking forward to reviewing June ridership data. In May, the amphitheater hosted just four events, Van Andel Arena hosted five events, and DeVos Place hosted nine events. The amphitheater had more events in June, which city leaders believe would have driven higher ridership.
"At night, the city (has) lots of people downtown. Whether that's cultural events or amphitheater events or arena events, we see the DASH being utilized much more. I think if we look at it from that perspective again anecdotally, what we're seeing is a lot of activity on this new route based on event participation," Gilles said.
The city previously highlighted a 90% jump in ridership in 2025, with 38,515 rides in January 2025 compared to 20,323 rides in January 2024.
St. Clair said she still plans to use the DASH but hopes the city will reconsider the scope of the route.
"I just wish they expand the routes a little more and think about other people," St. Clair said.
The city plans to launch a survey on the new route. Public meetings will also be held in each ward to further discuss the needs of neighbors.
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