Grand Rapids Mobility Commission outlines 20-year blueprint, 5-year capital program and 3-year refresh cycle

The Mobility Commission of Grand Rapids City spent its workshop reviewing a proposed Mobility Blueprint designed to connect the Community Master Plan, Vital Streets and other local and regional plans into a single, prioritized roadmap for transportation investments.

Facilitator (Speaker 1) said the Blueprint is “a people-centered, data-driven road map for safe, equitable, and sustainable mobility in Grand Rapids,” intended to produce an implementation chapter and a prioritized capital purchase list. Michael (City Attorney's Office) reminded commissioners that the body’s recommendations are advisory and nonbinding; the City Commission sets formal policy.

Planner/consultant (Speaker 6) explained planning horizons and implementation expectations: the document looks 20 years ahead, the capital plan is typically reliable for five years with a 10-year view beyond that, and the consultant-recommended approach would produce a 10-year capital investment program with a three-year refresh cycle. The planner estimated consultant procurement could take six to eight weeks; if the commission aligns on direction by year-end, work would start in March and take about 18 months, with roughly six additional months for adoption and external alignment.

Commissioners discussed the need for clear prioritization criteria to guide engineering and project implementation. Speakers emphasized that engineering implements projects and that the Blueprint must feed into the citywide Capital Improvement Program so transportation work is not treated in isolation.

Next steps described at the meeting include procuring consultant help for technical analysis, defining prioritization criteria, and using a short-term capital list to preserve the city’s ability to spend any near-term state funds on priorities identified by the commission. No formal vote or ordinance was taken; the workshop recorded recommendations and follow-up tasks for staff.