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.

Metro Ride looking to expand outside of Wausau

The City of Wausau purchased the bus system from a private company in 1972

By Brianna Weaver

Published: Oct. 4, 2024 at 6:54 PM CDT

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - The public transit system in Wausau could be expanding to include Rothschild, Schofield, and Weston. While the idea is there, they do have a long way to go before that could happen.

The City of Wausau purchased the Metro Ride system in 1972 from a private company after a referendum. More than 50 years later, talks of adding lines to surrounding areas are finally here, but the process to do that depends on the wants and needs of the municipality.

“If they would like public transportation to go out into their neighborhoods and service the public that way, we’re more than willing to help them do that,” said Arran Hersey, the transit director for the City of Wausau Metro Ride.

If it’s just specific businesses, Hersey says they’re also able to do that.

He’s currently working on a presentation to talk with city leaders about the importance of the routes. This would touch on why expanding in those areas would be good, especially for mobility purposes.

“People are gonna stop being able to drive necessarily and gonna be relying on public transportation to get to medical appointments, to get to shopping just to get to community events,” said Hersey.

So far these presentations will only be to the leaders, but Hersey is more than happy to show it to the public if they’re okay with it.

“I’m willing to go to any town hall meeting for any of the other cities, ask any questions that they may have, and do my best to answer them. I could bring some of my other experts along that know the area better than I do,” said Hersey.

The busiest time of the day for the Wausau transit center is after school. Hersey says if they do expand, he hopes to work with the school systems in other areas to provide that same support.

“We supplement what the yellow school bus can’t do at this particular point in time in the Wausau area,” said Hersey.

Hersey adds that he hopes the city leaders hop aboard the expansion plan and help the local communities.

Changes to the 2024-2025 SASD Bus Pass Program start Nov. 1

In partnership with the Sheboygan Area School District, Shoreline Metro offers free rides for students actively enrolled and attending a school within the district and the public transit system service area.

Students are able to use Shoreline Metro during all hours of service and on any route for any purpose including school, work, social activities and appointments. Students and faculty simply show the driver the Student Bus Pass when boarding to receive the free ride (middle school and high school students only). Elementary students do not require a pass.

Download and view the Student Bus Pass Program. The program is an all-in-one resource guide that provides program details, teaches you how to set up the app and access the free bus pass, and outlines Shoreline Metro services and route information. We have made it simple to access all this information in one convenient, easy-to-use guide.

• Students must have a Student Bus Pass in order to ride at no-charge. Students without a pass must pay the fare to ride.

• Student IDs are not permitted.

• Student conduct is strictly enforced.

• Showing Your Pass: When boarding the bus, show the driver your phone with the Student Bus Pass displayed on your screen.

• Resolving Common Issues:

• Customer Support – Please contact HotSpot Customer Support by clicking on the “three bars” in the upper left corner. Then, click “contact us” followed by “Category/Issue”. Shoreline Metro cannot assist with digital bus passes.

• Getting a New Phone – Please be sure you log out and delete the HotSpot app on your old device before installing the app on your new device. Your pass can only be active on one device at a time.

Madison Metro Transit named 2024 Climate Champion ahead of electric bus launch

Metro’s current buses use over 5,600 gallons of diesel each year. But in just ten days, one third of the fleet will include 60-foot all electric buses.

By Mackenzie Davis

Published: Sep. 12, 2024 at 3:33 PM CDT|Updated: Sep. 12, 2024 at 7:23 PM CDT

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Last month, 32 Dane County entities were recognized for their work in reducing carbon emissions.

Dane County Executive Jamie Kuhn and the Office of Energy and Climate Change (OECC) recognized 32 local entities for leading on climate action through the Dane County Climate Champions program.

One of those champions is Madison Metro Transit for their efforts to upgrade Madison’s city bus fleet with 62 new electric buses.

“We’re very excited about it,” Madison Metro Transit’s Chief Development Officer Mick Rusch said. “This is going to save us a lot of diesel fuel.”

Metro’s current buses use over 5,600 gallons of diesel each year. But in just ten days, one third of the fleet will include 60-foot all electric buses.

“It allows us the opportunity to basically be one of the largest electric bus fleets in the country, certainly for cities our size,” Madison Metro Transit’s General Manager Justin Stuehrenberg said,

Stuehrenberg says passengers will notice a difference. The buses will be very quiet, smooth and comfortable.

“We are really excited for the operational benefits for most of the passengers and the operators,” he said.

But the new buses will not just benefit passengers.

“It’s great. Real easy. It’s a piece of cake,” Clinton Boone said about driving the new bus.

Boone says he has been a bus driver and instructor for over 20 years and that these new electric buses are the reason he’s still on the roads.

“I was not going to retire until I drove this so right now, I’m pretty much happy I got a chance to drive it,” he said.

The county-wide climate recognition continues to put Madison on the map when it comes to sustainability.

“It’s a great recognition of the work that Metro is doing to not only reduce their climate pollution footprint, but to help the community overall reduce our collective climate pollution footprint,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.

Rusch says there will also be a new smart card fare system.

“A machine where you can just buy your fare right there or you can load it online which is something new for us where you can get loaded online. And next year, you’re going to be able to just use your credit card right on the bus. So, if someone wants to give us a try, you don’t even have to go get a fare card, you can just go on with your Apple Pay, Google Pay or tap credit card,” he said.

Making it that much easier to ride the buses.

“We hope we’re providing a great product that will make people thing twice about driving their car,” Rusch said.

Details on the Sept. 22, 2024 Bus Rapid Transit launch can be found here.

To learn more about the 2024 Climate Champion recipients, visit the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change website and the related Climate Champions map.

New secretary shares vision for Wisconsin’s transportation future

Release date: September 12, 2024

Secretary Kristina Boardman begins her new role today as Wisconsin’s secretary of transportation. Gov. Tony Evers announced her appointment to the position last month.

Secretary Boardman becomes the first woman to lead the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) after serving in a variety of roles in the agency, including deputy secretary and administrator of the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

As deputy secretary, Boardman was the department’s chief operating officer, overseeing operations for an agency with 3,200 employees, dozens of field offices and a biennial budget of more than $8 billion. Under Boardman’s leadership, the DMV excelled in customer service, efficiency, and innovation. Key accomplishments include innovating an award-winning online service for customers to title and register their vehicles, implementing the federal REAL ID program in Wisconsin, and expanding opportunities to schedule appointments at DMV service centers.

“It’s been a privilege to work at WisDOT serving the people of Wisconsin for the last 19 years,” Secretary Boardman said. “The opportunity to now lead the department I love is a true honor and a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I will build on the progress we’ve made to improve our transportation system in recent years and will continue to share WisDOT’s story, so the public understands the crucial work we do every day to improve safety and mobility in Wisconsin.”

Secretary Boardman’s priorities for WisDOT include:

• Support the WisDOT workforce with ongoing opportunities for engagement and support.
• Maximize the funding opportunities of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring needed resources to Wisconsin.
• Strengthen our technology and tools to best deliver safe and efficient self-service opportunities to our customers and stakeholders.
• Support continued investment in transportation to deliver on our core responsibilities to safely connect the public, wherever they travel.

In addition to her time at WisDOT, Secretary Boardman has nearly three decades of state government service, including 10 years as a legislative aide for the Wisconsin State Assembly, before transitioning to WisDOT in 2005. She also served as chair of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators International Board of Directors for the 2022-23 federal fiscal year.

Secretary Boardman replaces former secretary Craig Thompson, who Gov. Evers appointed to lead WisDOT in 2019. Since then, the Evers Administration has worked to improve more than 7,400 miles of road and 1,780 bridges across Wisconsin.

View Secretary Boardman’s full bio and download her official photo here.

For more information, contact:

WisDOT Office of Public Affairs
(608) 266-3581, opa.exec@dot.wi.gov

MCTS Launches On-Demand Paratransit Pilot Program in Milwaukee County

August 22, 2024 10:25 AM CDT

By: Stuart J. Wattles

MILWAUKEE, Wis (WAUK) — Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is set to launch a new pilot program called Transit Plus Same Day, offering on-demand rides for those eligible starting September 1, 2024.

The year-long pilot, powered by Via, aims to provide last-minute transportation for health and employment needs that couldn’t be scheduled in advance. The service will operate seven days a week within Milwaukee County, with ride requests accepted from 7 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.

Fares are set at $10 for one-way trips, with personal care attendants riding free and companions allowed for an additional $10. Riders must present their Transit Plus ID upon boarding.

MCTS officials emphasize that the program is not intended as a backup for regular Transit Plus vans. Participants must sign an agreement acknowledging the program’s purpose and limitations.

Enrollment will be phased-in to manage demand, with those interested required to submit a form. Forms can be returned in-person, by mail, email, or through an online portal.

The pilot’s duration is set for one year or until funding runs out. MCTS plans to adjust qualifications throughout the program to optimize service.

For more information or to enroll, people can visit the MCTS website.

The new bus rapid transit system officially launched Sunday after years in the making. (Spectrum News 1/Abbey Taylor)

TRANSPORTATION

Madison's new bus rapid transit system launched Sunday

By Abbey Taylor Wisconsin

PUBLISHED 8:13 PM ET Sep. 22, 2024

MADISON — 14-year-old Zenon Neta is a big fan of the Madison Metro Transit System. He rides the bus to volunteer at the Madison Children’s Museum and helps his grandmother get around town.

“She rides it to the hospital and to the blood bank, so I always help her and show her how to ride the bus,” Neta said.

What You Need To Know

• Routes A, B and F will board at new stations that have been built across town
• 
  
• The new system features bigger, electric buses with multiple entrances for riders to board
• 
  
• The city added 31 covered boarding stations with built-in heaters along the line 

Both said they are thrilled to take Route A through the new bus rapid transit system that launched Sunday.

“We’re riding it from head to toe, checking it out,” Neta said. “It’s been in the works for so many years. It’s exciting it’s finally here.”

The new system features bigger, electric buses with multiple entrances for riders to board and will trigger green lights to stay on schedule and reduce travel time. 

“I feel like it represents the city going green because the new buses are 100% zero admissions electric vehicles and it’s very nice,” Neta said.

Mick Rusch, the Chief Development Officer for Madison Metro Transit, said the city added 31 covered boarding stations with built-in heaters along the line with bike access and pedestrian crossings. 

“We have a new way to pay your fair,” Rusch said. “We have smart cards. We have an online way to load money into your account. It’s a much easier way to ride the bus nowadays.”

For Neta and his grandmother, Judy Gunkel, it’s more than just getting around. It’s about the time they spend together as well. 

“It’s wonderful,” Gunkel said. “I got to spend time with my grandson and he’s teaching me about the new bus.”

For more information on the new bus rapid transit system, click here.