DOT: Governor Doyle approves $1.7 million for rural transit projects

For more information, contact:

Becky Soderholm, Transit Section

(608) 266-1650, becky.soderholm@dot.wi.gov

Ingrid Koch, New Freedom Program Manager

(608) 266-1379, ingrid.koch@dot.wi.gov

Governor Jim Doyle has approved seven grants totaling $1,711,056 for projects that will help non-urbanized areas develop or expand public transportation. The grants will provide incentives to expand existing rural public transit systems or start up new ones.

“Wisconsin alone received these federal funds to test new approaches to develop public transportation in rural areas, under SAFETEA-LU in 2005,” said Governor Doyle. “A big thanks for this goes to our congressional delegation – led by Representative Petri – that wrote the legislation making the funding possible.”

The seven grants will go to local governments or Native American Tribes to continue services, expand existing services, or start new ones. For example, Sawyer and Washburn Counties and the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe will collaborate together to expand service in Washburn County by adding additional circulator and demand-response routes to more remote areas of the county. And Waushara County will expand specialized transit mini-bus service currently available to the elderly and disabled populations to general public riders and increase service hours and trip purposes to help meet the identified gaps in service.

This is the fourth and final year of the federal funds for Wisconsin. Eligible applicants include local governments, transit commissions, regional planning commissions, and tribal governments. In the three rounds of grants thus far, 44 projects received $5.92 million in funding.

The federal funds, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, come from the Supplemental Transportation Rural Assistance Program (STRAP).