Woodland Mall shuttle + Route 17 = budget second leg
If you’re already at Woodland Mall via a hotel shuttle or cheap rideshare from GRR’s Terminal 1, The Rapid Route 17 can take you toward downtown Grand Rapids for a few dollars instead of a $25–$40 Uber or Lyft. The tradeoff: riders on Reddit call it slow and a bit roundabout compared to driving straight in from the airport.
Route 17 runs from Woodland Mall transit center toward downtown, with buses typically coming every 20–30 minutes during daytime hours, less often at night and on Sundays. The cash fare on The Rapid is much lower than rideshare, which is why budget travelers piece this together as a two-leg trip: GRR → Woodland Mall by shuttle or car, then Woodland Mall → downtown by bus.
Transfers at Woodland Mall can add 10–20 minutes of standing time if you’re connecting between Route 17 and another line, according to local riders. This matters if you’re aiming for a specific check-in time at a hotel on Monroe Ave or near Van Andel Arena, because a missed connection at the mall can easily turn a 35-minute drive into a 70–90 minute public transit run.
Locals on r/grandrapids say using Route 17 for an airport-to-downtown trip feels “circuitous,” especially when you’re hauling a 40 lb checked bag or rolling two carry-ons. You’ll board at the Woodland Mall bus bay, climb the bus stairs with your luggage, and likely share space with regular commuters heading toward East Beltline or downtown stops, not travelers with suitcases.
Transit regulars recommend Route 17 mainly for people already comfortable with The Rapid system and not racing to a 7:00 p.m. dinner or a 6:30 p.m. show downtown. Their usual play: pay more for Uber or Lyft from GRR to Woodland Mall or a nearby hotel, then use the cheap Route 17 and other lines for the rest of the weekend once bags are dropped.
How to use Route 17 from GRR (step-by-step)
- 1. Get from Terminal 1 to Woodland Mall. Use a hotel shuttle along 28th Street or call Uber/Lyft from the arrivals curb; expect 10–20 minutes of drive time and around $15–$25 if you rideshare directly to the mall.
- 2. Find the Woodland Mall transit center. The Rapid buses line up on the mall’s south or east side (check mall maps or the Woodland Mall entrance signs) and look for the shelter marked with route numbers, including 17.
- 3. Check Route 17 times in real time. Use The Rapid’s website or a transit app to see next departures; daytime headways are often 20–30 minutes, but evenings can stretch closer to 30–60 minutes.
- 4. Pay your bus fare on board. Have a few dollar bills or a pass ready; fares on The Rapid are flat and significantly cheaper than the extra $10–$20 you’d spend extending your Uber from the mall into downtown.
- 5. Ride toward your downtown stop. Stay on Route 17 until your closest downtown or near-downtown stop, then walk the final 2–5 blocks, or transfer to another route at a signed stop if your hotel is deeper into a neighborhood.
- 6. Build in extra buffer time. Add 20–30 minutes to whatever the trip planner says to account for the 10–20 minute transfer waits riders report at Woodland Mall and the generally slower pace compared with a car.
Tip: If your flight into GRR lands after 9:00 p.m., check the last Route 17 departure from Woodland Mall before committing; missing it means you’ll end up paying for a full Uber into downtown anyway.