July 5, 2017 at 4:05 p.m.
Northwoods Transit Connection continues to grow
Northwoods Transit Connection continues to grow
Teichmiller reported on the transit commission during the June 27 meeting of the Vilas County Board of Supervisors.
"It's operating exceptionally well," he said. "For April, 4,344 one-way trip rides, individual rides for people."
In May, Teichmiller said there were 5,304 riders on Northwoods Transit Connection buses.
"I fully expect that in the month of June, the month of July, the month of August, we'll probably exceed 6,000 rides," he said. "If that happens, as we project, we will be equal to the number of rides provided by a program that's been in existence now for 15 years."
Teichmiller was referencing Bay Area Rural Transit in Ashland.
"They (transport) an average of 52,000 riders a year," he said. "We conceivably will beat that in less than two and a half years of operation. I'm extremely pleased with how well this has gone."
Teichmiller said the transit commission has received permission from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to purchase three new buses "if we can come up with the $15,000 down payment."
"We're not going to come to you for that," he told his fellow county board members. "We're going to individual businesses and some foundations in the area, asking them to consider joining us in this venture."
Teichmiller said the service transports anyone who needs a ride, particularly the elderly who don't have a car or don't feel safe driving because of the amount of traffic in the area during the summer months or the dangers brought on during winter weather.
"We're taking people from Eagle River down to Woodruff for dialysis," he said. "We know they get there because we have an operation that takes them on a regular basis, unlike the state program that promises to take people there and oftentimes they don't show up often enough to pick them up. We're taking people to the hospital to visit their elderly (family members) or children so they can visit them. We're taking people to the clinic, to the dentist, we're taking them to the grocery store."
Teichmiller said a system has been worked out so that people unable to leave their homes to get groceries can have them delivered by a Northwoods Transit Connection bus.
"If they call ahead to the grocery store, we will pick up their groceries and take them to their home so they have groceries," he said. "That can be counted as a ride. So, it's an innovative, creative, imaginative way for us to serve people in both Oneida and Vilas counties and I'm really quite pleased and proud to be part of its evolving process."
Teichmiller said Northwoods Transit Connection manager Jim Altenberg and his two-person office staff take up to 150 calls per day from people who need rides.
Another effort
A few minutes later, as part of a discussion about the town of Phelps and economic development efforts there to re-establish businesses such as a grocery store, Teichmiller said the town has been offered a transit route between Phelps and Eagle River for elderly or handicapped people, in particular, so they may get groceries.
"They can get on that bus, come down here, get groceries and then get back home," Teichmiller said. "That's another effort we're making to try make life more manageable and frankly, keep people in their homes, which is a goal for the elderly."
The rate for senior citizens, youth and disabled people to ride a Northwoods Transit Connection bus is $1 for a one-way ride.
The general public may ride the bus one way for $2.
Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected]
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