Do you remember about 5 years ago when there was still a downtown Cedar Rapaids shuttle that took workers from parking lots to their buildings? I barely do. I mostly remember people complaining that they could walk to their buildings faster than the shuttle could get them there. Well that was then, and now the Downtown District has worked with Park Cedar Rapids, Neighborhood Transit Service (NTS), and downtown businesses to bring back a service that should be better! It’s really quite smart and I’m excited to see it start up on November 7th.
This service has been in the works as a way to solve some temporary parking shortages due to construction, and some limited parking perceptions, to continue to please existing companies and attract new ones to the Cedar Rapids downtown. One hope is that more people can use the parking areas that are farther from the downtown center and not have to trudge to work in the freezing cold that we’re sure to get soon.
The shuttle will complete its loop in 10 minutes, which is an improvement from the complaints I heard about the previous service. It will be making use of NTS buses and staff during times that their main service is in low demand, so we’re using existing resources more efficiently and adding a new revenue source for NTS. And the service will be FREE to everyone! I, and others, are hoping that this breaks down some more barriers and stereotypes about riding the bus by providing a very useful service and helping people get familiar with our local buses. Now the buses in use won’t be the long CR Transit cruisers that you see on the streets, and instead will be smaller ones that are more typical for tours or private rentals, but hey, its still public transportation!
The service will begin on November 7th and all of the details can be found on the Park Cedar Rapids site. A great big thanks to Park Cedar Rapids, Intermec, Iowa Health System, NTS, and Downtown District for making this happen!
Now, I would love to hear if you’re going to try this out, and then what you think once you do. Will you be willing to park farther away with this service? Or are you just hoping that others use it so that you can park closer?
