GO!BUS PARATRANSIT SURVEY

In the spring of 2023, The Rapid public transportation system which operates in the Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Wyoming, Grandville, Walker and East Grand Rapids area conducted a customer satisfaction survey to collect riders’ opinions on the Go!Bus paratransit service.

Go!Bus is an ADA shared ride, advanced reservation service intended for individuals whose disabilities prevent them from accessing The Rapid’s fixed-route bus system. All individuals ages 65 and older are also eligible for GO!Bus.

The goal of this effort was to collect a minimum of 100 completed surveys from GO!Bus riders. The goal was met with 136 completed surveys collected. The main purpose of the survey was to measure overall satisfaction with Go!Bus and to understand rider behavior.

Methodology

The paratransit survey was administered by ETC Institute through the mail to a select list of Go!Bus riders provided by The Rapid from the 6-city service area. Surveys were sent out with a cover letter and return-reply envelope to mail the survey back. After mailing, ETC Institute followed up via text or email as a reminder to complete and return the survey.

65+ YEARS OR OLDER

AGES 55 TO 64 YEARS

136 45% 27% 57%

USE A MOBILITY DEVICE OR MOBILITY AID

Demographics

The survey asked respondents about their demographic and other social characteristics including income, race/ ethnicity, age, and gender identity. 67% of participants agree or strongly agree with the statement “You can schedule a ride or trip at the time you request.”

60%

WHITE/CAUCASIAN

24% BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN

33% 64% FEMALE

MALE

36%

2% NON-GENDER CONFORMING

OF RESPONDENTS MADE BETWEEN $12,000 AND $19,999 IN 2022

58%

OF RESPONDENTS MADE LESS THAN $19,999 IN 2022

29%

27%

TRAVEL ON THE RAPID 1-2 DAYS A WEEK

HAVE BEEN RIDING FOR 6-10 YEARS

23% 67%

PRIMARY PURPOSE FOR TRIPS IS WORK

43%

PRIMARY PURPOSE FOR TRIPS IS HEALTH/ MEDICAL

STRONGLY AGREE “YOU CAN SCHEDULE A RIDE OR TRIP AT THE TIME YOU REQUEST”

Overall Quality Of Service

Overall, most riders surveyed (70%) say they are either satisfied (40%) or very satisfied (30%) with the quality of service they receive from Go!Bus.

GO!BUS TRIPS

70%

SATISFIED OR VERY SATISFIED

Participants were asked to rate their level of agreement regarding 19 qualities of GO!Bus service, riders most often agreed (rating “agree” or “strongly agree”) with these statements:

92%

YOU FEEL SAFE ONBOARD THE VEHICLE

88% 89% 87%

DRIVERS HELP MAINTAIN A SENSE OF SAFETY ON THE BUS

DRIVERS ARE SAFE DRIVERS

CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL

IMPROVEMENTS & ADDITIONS TO GO!BUS TECHNOLOGY

80%

IMPROVEMENTS ADDITIONS

29% PICKUPS BEING ON TIME

52% SAME-DAY BOOKING

CURRENTLY OWN A SMARTPHONE

71%

HAVE REGULAR ACCESS TO THE INTERNET

13% TRAVEL TIME DURATION

51% NOTIFICATION WHEN BUS ARRIVES

THANK YOU!

On behalf of all our team members at The Rapid, I would like to extend my sincere thanks for your involvement in our recent customer and community value surveys. Your participation continues to help shape and create better public transportation in our community now and in the future. We believe that the key to providing great service lies in listening to and understanding the needs and preferences of our valued customers.

Moving forward, we will keep you informed on the progress we’ve made based on your feedback. We are eager to share the positive changes that will result from the partnership between The Rapid and the six cities we serve. We look forward to continuing our journey together toward a more sustainable, reliable, and customer-centric transit system.

If you have any further suggestions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We value your input and are always eager to hear from you. You may reach us by sending an email to info@ridetherapid.org or submitting an inquiry through the Contact Us portal on our website at ridetherapid.org.

Thank you for being an integral part of our transit family,

DEBORAH PRATO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE RAPID