Continuously circling campus

Bus Ride The Rapid Bus serves the greater Grand Rapids Community, including students on Grand Valley State University campuses
(Courtesy Google Images)

By Ingrid Sjostrand
Edited by Liz Reyna


It’s 10:50 Monday morning as Rich Feidel pulls the student-filled No. 48 Rapid bus into Grand Valley State University’s campus.

“We are now arriving at GVSU’s Kirkhof center,” a stern, automated woman’s voice says as the seated students rise and the standing ones relax and shift toward the salt-covered doors.
“Have a great day”

“Thank you.”

The phrases continue back and forth like a script between Feidel and each student as they step off his bus.

Two tired-looking students file onto the bus after it has cleared and Feidel begins his route again.

The No. 48 bus connects students from Kirkhof center to the apartments on 48th Avenue, south of West Campus Drive.

“This time around will be less full,” Feidel says, “different times are busier than others.”
The popularity of the bus also depends on the day, Feidel says as he turns onto West Campus Drive toward Campus West and Meadows Crossing apartments.

“I’ve noticed more people on the bus lately,” he says, “It could be the weather or the economic situation.”

He halts to a stop in front of The Meadows golf course and picks up a lone student standing beside the blue and white snow-covered Rapid sign.


“Stop requested,” the phantom voice announces at 10:53 a.m. as the bus nears the Meadows Crossing stop where several students wait.

Two of the riders get off and Feidel pulls away, leaving the waiting students at the stop.
“They wait for the 37 bus because it goes straight to campus.” Feidel says. “It’s faster than stopping at all the other apartments on 48th avenue.”

The bus slides seamlessly around the cul-de-sac, past the empty Campus West stop and right onto 48th Avenue, where several students wait at the two stops along the road.

“Each bus is on a schedule and now I’m ahead because I didn’t stop at Campus West,” Feidel says as he points to one of the many black, square devices surrounding him.

This computer tells how long to sit at each stop before moving on, he says while waiting at the Country Place apartments stop.

“Right now it’s telling me to sit here for two minutes before moving on to Hillcrest,” Feidel says as he watches cars speed past to his left.

It’s 10:55 a.m. He adjusts his oval, wire-rimmed glasses and pulls out during the gap in traffic.
After being a bus driver for 30 years, Feidel said he is used to the routine of it.

“I drove a Greyhound bus and a school bus before this,” he said, “I’ve worked for the Rapid for 10 years.”

The entire bus rattles as Feidel pulls into the gravel in front of his next stop: Hillcrest apartments. He says the job hasn’t become monotonous for him yet.

“Each time I drive the route there are new people,” he says. “It will be a big group at one stop and then maybe one person at the next.”

Feidel says he keeps entertained with the different people and the changing scenery at each stop.
The bus nears the stop sign at the corner of Pierce Street and 48th Avenue at 10:56 a.m. A high-pitched buzz repeats until Feidel slides the bus right onto Pierce, narrowly missing the front of an SUV.

“I get to change routes three times a year,” he says. “That also keeps it interesting.”

He says he picked the No. 48 route because he likes to try different things and driving students is very different than a Grand Rapids route.

“We are approaching Copper Beech townhomes,” the automated woman interrupts at 10:58 a.m. as Feidel nears his next stop.

As student steps off the bus with a loud “thank you,” Feidel mentions the recent change in the automated voice over.

“It used to be controlled by the drivers,” He says. “We would have to push a button at each stop, but now it’s all done with a GPS (Global Positioning Systems).”

It’s 11 a.m. and Feidel is nearing the last two stops on Pierce Avenue before he returns to Kirkhof Center on campus. The Campus View apartment stop has five people waiting, more than any stop along his route so far.

Feidel adds that the bus is free for students while a campus parking pass is fairly expensive. GVSU’s public safety department charges $150 for a parking pass for students taking seven or more credits.

He pulls to the right at the final intersection before his return, the four way stop between Pierce Avenue and 42nd Avenue.

One student steps on the bus and another begins running from 5 feet away. Feidel pulls away without waiting for the girl and she throws her arms up and stops.

“That’s one of my biggest pet peeves,” he says. “I saw a girl running the other day and she fell on the ice. A bus comes every four minutes, its unnecessary to hurt yourself running for the bus.”

“We are now arriving at GVSU’s Kirkhof Center,” the woman’s voice repeats as Feidel pulls the bus back toward his starting point and the clock changes to 11:02 a.m. Perfect timing.