Lake Mills Share Ride

The total transportation picture in Wisconsin sounds rather simple but, in fact, is very complex and personal. Rural passenger transportation involves not only service provided to the elderly and disabled but also affects persons looking for jobs, medical services, and others with priority mobility needs who are transit dependent because they can't afford an automobile, are unable to drive, or don't have relatives, friends, or neighbors willing or able to give them a ride. The specialized transportation programs which are administered by WisDOT are directed towards the elderly, youth and persons with disabilities, with the general public carried on at higher rates.
WisDOT regards shared-ride taxi systems as a means of providing public transportation service in smaller communities. Wisconsin’s shared program began in 1978 in Ripon with state assistance. Federal assistance from the then Section 18 program was added the next year. Initially, funding was available to communities with populations of 5,000 or more, but the population threshold was dropped to 2,500 or more in the 80s. The services, generally contracted by municipalities to state-qualified private-sector providers, are demand responsive and rides may be shared with other users. Last year WisDOT stats show, the rural and small town shared-ride taxi program included 39 systems providing 1,524,200 rides. Shared-ride systems exist in communities ranging in size from the 22,000 population in Watertown and 19,000 in Wisconsin Rapids to 4,300 in Medford and Mauston and 2,700 in Neillsville.
The share ride taxi program is a service established to provide commuters throughout the Lake Mills area with an alternative transportation option. The City of Lake Mills contracts with Brown Cab, Inc. to provide shared-rides through a reduced-rate taxi service for the young, elderly, persons with disabilities, low-income individuals, commuters, and persons who often have limited transportation options or resources. The program is funded with some rider fees and subsidized by federal and state mass transit funds along with city general funds.
The share-ride taxi program is a service established to provide commuters throughout the Lake Mills area with an alternative transportation option. The City of Lake Mills has contracted with Brown Cab, Inc., to provide shared-ride, reduced-rate taxi service for the young, elderly, persons with disabilities, low-income individuals, commuters, and persons who often have limited transportation options or resources. The program is subsidized by federal and state mass transit funds.
The City of Lake Mills is receiving State and Federal funds to assist in financing the operating project costs of the public transportation service known as the Lake Mills Share - Ride Taxi for the period January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2010.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation conducts a cost efficiency analysis of all state-funded transit systems. The analysis uses six performance measures to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of every transit system. Each system is grouped by type and evaluated against its peers. In the report, the Lake Mills' shared-ride taxi system is compared against the performance of 41 other shared-ride taxi systems in the state.
The Legislature has directed WisDOT to annually analyze the State's investment in transit, so WisDOT and the City must do our best to ensure that funding is providing an efficient and effective service for Lake Mills.