Milwaukee County Transit System Begins Collecting Rider Feedback to Shape 2025 Routes

December 09, 2024

Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is launching a new initiative called MOVE 2025, aimed at collecting rider feedback to help shape bus routes for fall 2025. This effort will guide decisions on whether certain routes should have higher frequencies, more or less coverage, or stay the same.

Riders are encouraged to provide input on how MCTS can adapt its services to better meet their changing needs. MOVE 2025 offers a unique approach where riders can see routing ideas from fellow passengers, bus operators and data trends along with the potential impacts of these ideas. This helps riders, bus drivers and the general public understand the broader effects of any potential adjustments to their routes and how their feedback can guide a recommended plan for the fall.

MCTS Interim Managing Director Julie Esch said, “MOVE 2025 aligns with a significant milestone—our 50th anniversary. Over the past five decades, Milwaukee County has evolved dramatically. Throughout this evolution, we’ve consistently adapted our resources to move public transit where the county is headed. I’m excited that MOVE 2025 offers riders a chance to share their vision of how the bus system could evolve to meet the future needs of Milwaukee County.”

MCTS wants to hear from riders directly. Feedback can be submitted through an online survey, visiting RideMCTS.com/MOVE to comment on interactive maps, or by attending one of five public meetings across the county. Riders have until February 10, 2025, to weigh in.

Key Dates and Locations for Public Meetings:

1. January 14, 2025 — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Milwaukee Public Library East Branch (2320 N. Cramer St., Milwaukee)
2. January 16, 2025 — 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Oak Creek City Hall (8040 S. 6th St., Oak Creek)
3. January 22, 2025 — 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Silver Spring Neighborhood Center (5460 N. 64th St., Milwaukee)
4. January 25, 2025 — 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at West Milwaukee Community Center (1345 S. 47th St., West Milwaukee)
5. February 4, 2025 — 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at MCTS Administration Building (1942 N. 17th St., Milwaukee)

Timeline for MOVE 2025

• December 9, 2024 - February 10, 2025: Public input phase through surveys, online comments, interactive maps, and public meetings.
• March - May 2025: MCTS transit planners review feedback and develop a draft plan for additional comment from riders, bus drivers and the general public. Planners prepare a final recommended plan that will be presented to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors will review and request approval.
• June - August 2025: If the recommended plan is approved, MCTS promotes public awareness of the fall service changes.
• Late August 2025: The changes go live.

The MOVE 2025 initiative follows previous efforts to align public transit resources with passengers’ needs, including a major bus system redesign in 2021 and the introduction of CONNECT 1, a Bus Rapid Transit service in 2023. For more information, visit RideMCTS.com/MOVE.

https://www.ridemcts.com/who-we-are/news/milwaukee-county-transit-system-begins-collecting

After 40 years, Bus Rapid Transit has redefined Madison

BRT’s long-awaited debut this fall has helped streamline Madison’s public transportation system, but it’s taken a lot of planning to get to this point.

By John Ernst

December 5, 2024 | 5:00am CST

Chris Phistry has lived his whole life in Wisconsin’s capital. When he began working on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus as a front desk agent at the Fluno Center five years ago, Phistry needed a way to commute into the city from his west side residence.

In Madison, the choice is clear: he takes the bus.

Five days a week, Phistry takes the bus to downtown, and in September, he began using the brand-new Bus Rapid Transit system.

“In the last 40 years, I've been paying attention to the bus system,” Phistry said. “I’ve seen it shift from a much wider coverage of the city to concentrating a lot more on the corridors that see the most service.”

BRT as a whole has been a growing movement in American cities, with cities like Madison receiving federal funding though the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and Small Starts Grants to implement and build their systems. Wisconsin’s capital city isn’t the first. The federal government has been funding BRT systems since the first lines debuted in Pittsburgh in the early 1980s. As of 2016, there were over 300 miles of BRT service in the U.S., according to the Federal Transit Administration.

Route A, the BRT line Phistry takes to and from work, services the east-west corridor of Madison, running just past I-90 on the east side to Junction Road on the west side. On Sept. 22, Madison Metro Transit launched the line, debuting a project over 40 years in the making.

In 2012, Metro Transit Capital Projects Manager Mike Cechvala and his colleagues at the Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization drew the first map of the BRT system, running through the same east-west corridor that Phristry and other commuters use every day. The city formally applied for a federal grant to fund the project in 2017 when Cechvala was working for Metro Transit, he told The Daily Cardinal.

After a $107 million investment in 2022, Madison received a $110.6 million construction grant for the project from the FTA in 2023. The Biden administration announced plans to allocate an additional $118.1 million in funding to Madison’s proposed second BRT line, running through the city’s north-south corridor, which is expected to open in 2028, Cechvala said.

‘A generational improvement’

Construction for Madison’s initial BRT project began in 2022 and was divided into three contracts: early works, main body and widen sidewalk. Cechvala said much of the construction dedicated to the new stations, bus lanes and infrastructure was part of the main body project.

As part of the BRT system, Metro Transit implemented several new features for the ease of travel, streamlining of transit and sustainability efforts. On the roads, passengers can expect to see a few changes, including new stations and bus-designated lanes painted red.

There were 31 new stations constructed for the BRT, according to Cechvala. Stations are equipped with benches, heaters and overhead covering. Each contains a farebox where riders can reload their cards with cash, and real time tracking to give minute-by-minute updates on when passengers can expect the buses to arrive. They’re also raised off the ground, allowing for easier accessibility on and off the bus.

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“I think [the stations] are super nice,” Jack, a graduate student at UW-Madison, said. “I haven't used the heater yet, [but] I'm sure I'll appreciate [it] when it's zero degrees.”

Cechvala said the new stations offer good infrastructure and services that are simply easier to use.

“If you see a bus stop sign on the side of the street, I think to most people, they look at that and it's just kind of invisible,” Cechvala said. “If you see the BRT stations and see the real time signs, it kind of feels [easier]. It's respectful to people who ride the bus.”

Jack has noticed the bus-only lanes have allowed buses to bypass traffic during particularly busy times of the day, such as weekday rush hour. Jack, who lives near the UW-Health University Hospital, has made Route A, which runs down University Avenue westbound, his main mode of transportation. 

Madison’s BRT also debuted their new fleet of electric buses purchased from New Flyer, Cechvala said. The electric buses will work on Route A and service some of campus buses like Route 80. The buses will be charged on the opposite ends of the line, but also are capable of en route charging, allowing them to run throughout the day, he said.

The buses are also a crucial part of cooperation between the city of Madison and UW-Madison, with the latter assisting with the purchase of the buses, according to UW-Madison Transportation Services.

A spokesperson for UW-Madison Transportation Services told the Cardinal that although the project predated Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s sustainability initiatives, the project will be a crucial part of her goals and help accelerate sustainable progress.

Metro Transit will spend the next few months improving the service of Route A before turning their attention to Route B, Cechvala said.

For Phistry, Jack and the thousands of others will use the BRT, the next months and years will determine the success of the new line.

“This is a generational improvement,” Cechvala said. “We really hope that this investment pays off, and we're really excited about BRT and glad that people are using it.”

After 40 years, Bus Rapid Transit has redefined Madison

BRT’s long-awaited debut this fall has helped streamline Madison’s public transportation system, but it’s taken a lot of planning to get to this point.

By John Ernst

December 5, 2024 | 5:00am CST

Chris Phistry has lived his whole life in Wisconsin’s capital. When he began working on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus as a front desk agent at the Fluno Center five years ago, Phistry needed a way to commute into the city from his west side residence.

In Madison, the choice is clear: he takes the bus.

Five days a week, Phistry takes the bus to downtown, and in September, he began using the brand-new Bus Rapid Transit system.

“In the last 40 years, I've been paying attention to the bus system,” Phistry said. “I’ve seen it shift from a much wider coverage of the city to concentrating a lot more on the corridors that see the most service.”

BRT as a whole has been a growing movement in American cities, with cities like Madison receiving federal funding though the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and Small Starts Grants to implement and build their systems. Wisconsin’s capital city isn’t the first. The federal government has been funding BRT systems since the first lines debuted in Pittsburgh in the early 1980s. As of 2016, there were over 300 miles of BRT service in the U.S., according to the Federal Transit Administration.

Route A, the BRT line Phistry takes to and from work, services the east-west corridor of Madison, running just past I-90 on the east side to Junction Road on the west side. On Sept. 22, Madison Metro Transit launched the line, debuting a project over 40 years in the making.

In 2012, Metro Transit Capital Projects Manager Mike Cechvala and his colleagues at the Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization drew the first map of the BRT system, running through the same east-west corridor that Phristry and other commuters use every day. The city formally applied for a federal grant to fund the project in 2017 when Cechvala was working for Metro Transit, he told The Daily Cardinal.

After a $107 million investment in 2022, Madison received a $110.6 million construction grant for the project from the FTA in 2023. The Biden administration announced plans to allocate an additional $118.1 million in funding to Madison’s proposed second BRT line, running through the city’s north-south corridor, which is expected to open in 2028, Cechvala said.

‘A generational improvement’

Construction for Madison’s initial BRT project began in 2022 and was divided into three contracts: early works, main body and widen sidewalk. Cechvala said much of the construction dedicated to the new stations, bus lanes and infrastructure was part of the main body project.

As part of the BRT system, Metro Transit implemented several new features for the ease of travel, streamlining of transit and sustainability efforts. On the roads, passengers can expect to see a few changes, including new stations and bus-designated lanes painted red.

There were 31 new stations constructed for the BRT, according to Cechvala. Stations are equipped with benches, heaters and overhead covering. Each contains a farebox where riders can reload their cards with cash, and real time tracking to give minute-by-minute updates on when passengers can expect the buses to arrive. They’re also raised off the ground, allowing for easier accessibility on and off the bus.

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“I think [the stations] are super nice,” Jack, a graduate student at UW-Madison, said. “I haven't used the heater yet, [but] I'm sure I'll appreciate [it] when it's zero degrees.”

Cechvala said the new stations offer good infrastructure and services that are simply easier to use.

“If you see a bus stop sign on the side of the street, I think to most people, they look at that and it's just kind of invisible,” Cechvala said. “If you see the BRT stations and see the real time signs, it kind of feels [easier]. It's respectful to people who ride the bus.”

Jack has noticed the bus-only lanes have allowed buses to bypass traffic during particularly busy times of the day, such as weekday rush hour. Jack, who lives near the UW-Health University Hospital, has made Route A, which runs down University Avenue westbound, his main mode of transportation. 

Madison’s BRT also debuted their new fleet of electric buses purchased from New Flyer, Cechvala said. The electric buses will work on Route A and service some of campus buses like Route 80. The buses will be charged on the opposite ends of the line, but also are capable of en route charging, allowing them to run throughout the day, he said.

The buses are also a crucial part of cooperation between the city of Madison and UW-Madison, with the latter assisting with the purchase of the buses, according to UW-Madison Transportation Services.

A spokesperson for UW-Madison Transportation Services told the Cardinal that although the project predated Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s sustainability initiatives, the project will be a crucial part of her goals and help accelerate sustainable progress.

Metro Transit will spend the next few months improving the service of Route A before turning their attention to Route B, Cechvala said.

For Phistry, Jack and the thousands of others will use the BRT, the next months and years will determine the success of the new line.

“This is a generational improvement,” Cechvala said. “We really hope that this investment pays off, and we're really excited about BRT and glad that people are using it.”

https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2024/12/after-40-years-bus-rapid-transit-has-redefined-madison

MTU holding "Talking Transit" event on December 14

• 

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) - People with questions about La Crosse's bus transportation system can get them answered at an event late Thursday afternoon. 

Representatives from the La Crosse MTU are holding a special "Talking Transit" meeting at the Southside Neighborhood Center at 1300 S. 6th Street from 5:30-7 p.m. on December 14. 

It is an opportunity for users and members of the public to come and ask questions about routes, bus stops, mobility and paratransit information. 

Feel Good Friday: Tina Deetz is helping the riders and drivers of Eau Claire Transit

by: Daniel Gomez

Posted: Dec 3, 2024 / 02:04 PM CUpdated: Dec 3, 2024 / 02:04 PM CSHARE

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – With the darker nights and colder temperatures, Winter can make the ride to and from work a little tricky. No one is more aware of that than the hundreds of people that utilize Eau Claire Transit. First News at Nine’s Daniel Gomez is sharing how one of the supervisors is helping riders and drivers alike.

Morning and evening routines are harder to set in the winter when your time revolves around the bus schedule. Tina Deetz is a supervisor with Eau Claire Transit and she says, “Once in a while, the bus driver will have to call in that they almost pass up a person at a bus stop because they couldn’t see them.”

Driver Even Figg adds, “I was driving at the crack of dawn, and it was dark out. Someone was wearing all black. They had to for work, and, I almost missed them because they were standing a little off from the street. As they should.

Deetz says there are more well-lit stops than not but leaving any rider in the dark doesn’t sit right with her. “Well, we handed out about 100 of these little bus flashlights, they’re really cute.”

The small lights are part of a “Be Seen, Be Safe” campaign. It’s to encourage more riders to flash their phones. Wear reflective gear. Anything to help bus drivers see them. Figg says, “Those little key chains, I have seen plenty of those around. They work very well. It’s just a tiny light, but that small light really alerts us.”

Daniel Kasten rides the route to Altoona. He explains, “We got a streetlight in a general area but that area is kind of dark. There’s no shelter there, nothing.”

In addition to the key chains, riders were also given hats so they could stay warm while waiting for the bus. Kasten says, “I think that’s a really good idea. And the fact that they are marketing themselves that way to the public, I think that’s a really really good idea. I come from Milwaukee and their transit system is much bigger and they don’t have time for that kind of stuff.”

Deetz adds, “Transit does have a marketing budget. And this is something we like to do just to make people aware that Eau Claire transit is here. It’s nice just to be out with the public. When you come down to the transfer center and get to talk to the passengers, you really know what a good public service you’re offering here for the City of Eau Claire.”

A heartwarming gesture, to keep Eau Claire moving this Winter. In Eau Claire. Deetz says she plans to hand out more winter hats in the future. Although there are no more key chain flashlights, she says if there are safety concerns at a bus stop those are brought up to a safety committee to explore possible ways to address concerns.

FTA makes $10 million available in Bus Safety and Accessibility Research Program grants

Nov. 20, 2024

The funding will allow awardees to design and develop prototypes to make existing and new buses safer for operators, riders and vulnerable road users, as well as more accessible for passengers.

Related To: Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $10 million in grant funding through its Bus Safety and Accessibility Research Program to design and develop prototypes to make existing and new buses safer for operators, riders and vulnerable road users, as well as more accessible for passengers. 

FTA notes the program’s key focus areas are:   

• Driver safety systems: Changes made to the transit vehicle and technology upgrades that protect the operator and enhance the safety of those outside of the vehicle, including vulnerable road users. 
• Passenger safety systems: Changes made to the transit vehicle and technology upgrades that protect and increase accessibility for passengers. 

FTA says the design project solicited by the NOFO must address bus operator health and safety, transit vehicle safety and accessibility and provide a foundation for transformative bus systems and designs that enhance safety.  

The project builds on previous research, including FTA’s Bus Operator Compartment Redesign Program, and the Transportation Cooperative Research Program’s Report 249, “Bus Operator Barrier Design: Guidelines and Considerations.”   

Applications for the funding are due Jan. 17, 2025. 

MCTS Hosts Career Fair on December 11

Over One Hundred Positions Will Be Available Throughout 2025

By Milwaukee County Transit System - Dec 2nd, 2024 09:00 am

MILWAUKEE (December 2, 2024) — Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is hiring for 100 open positions, including bus operators, safety officers, diesel mechanics, electronic technicians, and bus fuelers/detailers over the course of 2025. People from across Wisconsin are invited to attend the MCTS Career Fair on Wednesday, December 11, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Staff will be on hand at the MCTS Administration Building on 1942 N. 17th Street, to answer questions about these positions and to assist with filling out applications.

MCTS Employment Manager Tiffany Moore said, “We have many entry-level opportunities that offer a career path to advanced positions such as garage supervisors, instructors, customer service representatives, route supervisors, and director roles. Many leaders at MCTS, including executives, began their careers in roles like these, showing the tremendous opportunities for growth and advancement within our organization.”

WHAT: MCTS’s Career Fair is an exciting opportunity to explore a rewarding and family-sustaining career at MCTS.

WHO: Whether you are a recent high school or college graduate or looking to make a career change, this event is the perfect place to explore one of our open positions. Current staff come from Milwaukee as well as Kenosha, Waukesha and other counties.

WHEN:  Wednesday, December 11, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Milwaukee County Transit System Administration Office, 1942 N. 17th Street, Milwaukee. Plenty of free visitor parking available in front of the building.

Said Moore, “We invite everyone to discover our new positions, such as public safety officers or electronic technicians, and more. This is a unique opportunity for people across Wisconsin to learn how to take their careers to the next level.”

To see a complete list of job descriptions, please visit RideMCTS.com/Careers for more information or to register to attend.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Mentioned in This Press Release

Buildings: MCTS Administration Building

Government: Milwaukee County Transit System

Kenosha Partners with Amazon on Express Bus Route Compensation

Kenosha, WI (WLIP)– The City of Kenosha and Amazon have entered into a funding agreement for an express bus route from downtown Kenosha to Amazon’s fulfillment center.

The one-year agreement, which can be extended for up to three additional one-year terms, will provide transit service funding to maintain the express route.

Amazon will contribute $78,0000 toward the projected $120,000 annual cost of the service.

The agreement outlines the service schedule, which includes morning and afternoon trips Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays.

The lone no vote against the measure was 16th District Alderman Dominic Ruffalo who says it’s unfair for taxpayers to foot the bill.

City Administrator John Morrissey says he feels the deal will save taxpayers money as they would be on the hook for the full amount without the agreement.

The route will run from Kenosha’s Transit Center to the Amazon Fulfillment Center, with no fares charged for Amazon’s 3,000 full-time employees at the Kenosha facility.

WI: Chippewa Valley officials push for passenger rail service

Oct. 30, 2024

The Chippewa Valley is pushing for a new railway line to come through Eau Claire and connect the city of 70,000 in western Wisconsin to other passenger rail stops in the upper Midwest.

By Audrey Korte

Source The Chippewa Herald, Chippewa Falls, Wisc. (TNS)

The Chippewa Valley is pushing for a new railway line to come through Eau Claire and connect the city of 70,000 in western Wisconsin to other passenger rail stops in the upper Midwest.

If that happens the carrier will not necessarily be Amtrak, according to state transportation officials.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation Assistant Deputy Secretary Joel Nilsestuen said Friday that Wisconsin is seeing exciting development with passenger rail travel and he expects that will continue.

'Lot of demand'

Chippewa Valley leaders want in on that action.

"I think there is a lot of demand for passenger rail service, and to that end, we are looking at studying corridors to expand service from Chicago to Milwaukee, from Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire to the Twin Cities," Nilsestuen said Friday at a transportation themed event for the Chippewa Valley.

Area leaders have pushed for rail service for more than three decades, according to Scott Rogers.

Rogers is Vice President of Governmental Affairs at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce. But he's also the chair of the West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition and a commissioner with the Chippewa- St. Croix Rail Commission as well as Wisconsin's private sector commissioner on the 8-state Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission.

"In May, we announced the first passenger rail expansion in 22 years with new service from the Twin Cities to Chicago, with the Borealis service," Nilsestuen said. "There's been incredible need, or demonstrated need."

With the success of Amtrak's Borealis, Eau Claire and surrounding communities are reinvested in a rail proposal.

A group of a few dozen Chippewa Valley residents seeking to better understand transit plans in the area turned out for a rundown of major transit issues and projects in the region on Friday. The Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce event took place at the Chippewa Valley Technical College Business Education Center.

Talks included details of road and bridge projects in the region, parking structures and a proposed transportation center in Eau Claire, airline contracts and airport plans at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport and the potential creation of passenger railway lines connecting Eau Claire to major cities in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota.

In addition to Nilsestuen panelists included Scott Rogers, Vice President Governmental Affairs at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce; Charity Zich, Chippewa Valley Regional Airport; Debby Jackson, Executive Director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin; Ty Fadness, Transit Manager for Eau Claire Transit; and Dave Solberg, Eau Claire Deputy City Manager.

Amtrak's Borealis

Amtrak's Borealis train made its first eastbound and westbound trips between St. Paul and Chicago in May.

"We announced that we surpassed 100,000 riders for that service, and we hit that mark much sooner than our projections anticipated," Nilsestuen said.

The state-sponsored Borealis rail line includes eight stops in Wisconsin, including La Crosse, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, Columbus, Milwaukee, the Milwaukee airport and Sturtevant.

It also features three Minnesota stops in Winona, Red Wing and St. Paul at Union Depot.

The Borealis route uses the same track in Wisconsin and Minnesota as the Empire Builder, which continues from the Twin Cities to Portland and Seattle.

Wisconsin worked with the transportation departments in Minnesota and Illinois and contributed nearly $1 million to fund the Borealis route.

Gov. Tony Evers said in May that he would push for new passenger rail lines to Eau Claire, Madison and Green Bay.

With the passage of the federal infrastructure bill in 2021, money became available to study expansion of passenger rail lines across the United States, Rogers said.

In December 2023, The Federal Rail Administration approved grants for many of these projects, including three projects that would bring passenger trains back to Eau Claire, Menomonie, Baldwin and other communities.

"We are now in the process of conducting those studies, with hopes of getting trains rolling by 2029," the West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition reports.

New funds available

Rogers said while he is glad to see the Borealis up and running he understands people's frustration about how long it took to get going.

"Why is it taking 22 years to put one train on an existing route? A lot of that is that there was no federal program like there is with other transportation modes with 80-90% or even higher federal funds."

That changed with the bipartisan infrastructure law, he said.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as enacted in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, authorizes up to $108 billion for public transportation — the largest federal investment in public transportation in the nation's history, according to the Federal Transit Administration.

"It also created $66 billion of that in advance appropriations for development and enhancement of existing corridors," Rogers said. "And FRA came out with a program or a pipeline that states and communities could apply to be in."

The Federal Railroad Administration put out the opportunity to apply for this program in the spring of 2023. That year multiple rail corridors across the country were selected for the program, including two that go through Eau Claire, Rogers said.

"Once you're in the pipeline, you can move forward with your project," he said. "We were successful at doing that, but just being on the map doesn't get you a train."

Eau Claire connections

There are ongoing discussions of connecting Eau Claire to Green Bay with one project and Eau Claire to the Twin Cities with another.

Rogers said the West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition has been working on rail service to the region since 1999, leading the effort to re-establish passenger rail service through west-central Wisconsin.

"Part of our plan is to look at things like shuttles to Eau Claire, Rochester and Madison. So that may be the first opportunity we'll have to buy a ticket to Milwaukee or Chicago, where you would buy a ticket, you get on a shuttle in Eau Claire, it would take you to Tomah," Rogers said. "You get right on the train and go to Milwaukee or Chicago."

The Chippewa- St. Croix Rail Commission received a grant to work on a regional corridor between Eau Claire and the Twin Cities, Rogers said.

"There are a few things about that corridor that are unique among all the 69 corridors that were awarded," he said.

One is officials seek a competitive process for selecting the operator.

"So there's not an assumption that it will be Amtrak," he said. "In fact, there are private operators who do contract operations for commuter lines and others who are interested in doing the service, and we wanted to investigate that."

Union Pacific is interested in the region, he said.

" Union Pacific is very positive about having passenger service on its line," he said. "We wanted to investigate that as well."

Rogers said he got an update from the commission meeting this week about the Eau Claire corridor identification program.

"The consultant has been hired to take forward the first step of the program," he said.

___
(c)2024 The Chippewa Herald, Chippewa Falls, Wisc.
Visit The Chippewa Herald, Chippewa Falls, Wisc. at www.chippewa.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Door County transportation offerings on pace for ridership record

Posted Monday Morning by Tim Kowols

If you rely on Door 2 Door Rides or Door County Connect to get around the area, you are certainly not alone this year. The two services are on track to eclipse 47,000 rides this year, potentially more than last year’s 45,300. Transportation Manager Pam Busch credits the services’ shedding the image that they are only for the elderly or disabled. While they are still significant sections of their total ridership, Busch says more residents are treating it like any other public transportation option

Door 2 Door Rides has served the area for almost 15 years while Door County Connect, formerly the Aging and Disability Resource Center Bus/Van service, has served the community for over 35 years. Door County Connect and Door 2 Door Rides are offering no-cost rides to the polls on Election Day (November 5th), thanks to the League of Women Voters of Door County and to all veterans on November 11th.

 

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Kenosha Transportation Academy transit tour

October 17, 2024 in News

Happy bus riders

We are rounding out the last few weeks of the Kenosha Transportation Academy, with just two sessions to go before the end of October. Yesterday was the transit tour, and it was hands down everyone’s favorite class so far! 

We started off with a Q&A from four local experts:

Anthony Kennedy, who represents District 10 on the City Council and is chair of the transit commission for the City of Kenosha

Jennifer Stenacki, AICP, Deputy Chief Transportation Planner at SEWRPC

Jeff Anhock, Supervisor of Operations for Kenosha Area Transit

Lauren Scott, Mobility Manager for the City and County of Kenosha

Guest speakers from L to R: Anthony Kennedy, Jennifer Stenacki, Jeff Anhock, Lauren Scott

I assigned everyone to plan an essential trip that they take without a car. This is an everyday experience for some of the participants in the class, but for many of them, it was a new exercise. One person shared that the trip from her home to work is only about 22 minutes by bus, but the infrequency of bus service would force her to get to work 45 minutes early. Another participant lives in Racine and works in Kenosha, so there is no public transit option to his workplace; he would have to bum a ride from his wife or pay $26 one way for an Uber ride.

Entering the transit center

After an hour of sharing expertise and answering questions, we boarded the No. 5 bus and rode to the transit center, where Jeff and Anthony gave us a tour of the maintenance and storage facilities. The transit center is a state-of-the-art building and was built in 2006 with federal funds. All cleaning, fueling, and maintenance take place under one enormous roof. It is impressive.