Public hearing leads to potential short-term solution to transit troubles

A public hearing Monday evening on the Rhinelander Common Council’s October vote to discontinue the shared ride program (known as Rhinelander Public Transit) ended on a positive note as two private sector businesses, Hodag Cab and Advanced Medical Transport, pledged to do what they can to fill the void.

“I’m here tonight to lay out maybe a temporary solution to the problems that are going to result from the cancellation of the shared ride taxi service,” said Grant Bornbach, owner of Advanced Medical Transport, a non-emergency medical transportation company based in Rhinelander. “Hodag Cab, they are good people. They run a 24-7 taxi company. They don’t have wheelchair vans, but they can pick up anyone that’s ambulatory that used to ride with Rhinelander Public Transit. And then, starting January 1st, my company, Advanced Medical Transport, we’re going to start an on-demand service for people in wheelchairs, and that’ll run 24-7. 

“And we’ll do it at the same rates as the outgoing Rhinelander Public Transit,” Bornbach continued. “We’re willing to do this for three months, so from January 1st through March 31st, and that’ll give us, you know, quite a bit of time to collect data and do some proper needs assessment. And then we’ll just kind of take a look at everything and figure out the best way to go from there.”

Bornbach noted that his company owns 15 wheelchair vans and has been in business for six years.

Tim White, co-owner of Hodag Cab, said he expects to employ many of the drivers who have been working for Rhinelander Public Transit.

“I feel bad for John (Haack; manager of Rhinelander Public Transit) and his employees,” White said. “We at Hodag Cab will absorb as many employees as we can accommodate to help your employees continue on serving the community like we do.”

“I know John’s a very good driver. He’s a good trainer,” White continued. “I’d ask his services to help train my drivers to secure these individuals (who use wheelchairs). You know, we never came into this business to compete with (Rhinelander Transit). We came into this business to take care of our community. Our community’s number one. We will always worry about our community. So, whatever we can do as a company, we’re going to do to take care of this community. That’s what I have to say.”

“We don’t have any plans on raising rates,” added Hodag Cab co-owner Cheryl Salzman. “We don’t have any plans on changing anything that we’re doing. You know, just getting these people where they need to go on a daily basis.”

The vote to cancel the city’s transit service took place on Oct. 28 after the council was told that the city’s share to fund the program in 2025 would be approximately $75,000 rather than the previously estimated $25,000.

The move prompted an outcry from those who depend on the service. 

During the Nov. 11 council meeting, transit customer Jim Rosenthal told the alderpersons the service transports him to and from church services and allows him to shop at local businesses.

Without the service, he said he would be sitting in his apartment “24-7” for the rest of his life.

The public hearing ended with Rosenthal expressing gratitude to the business owners who have pledged to help him and others continue to participate in the community.

“I would just like to say that it is very encouraging to find private individuals, businessmen, willing to support us and to take care of us if we need it,” he said. “And I want to thank them and I again want to thank you for your consideration because I have faith that we will be taken care of because of you and because of individual business people in this community. So, thank you. It makes me feel really good.”

City officials have previously called the discontinuation of the service an experiment of sorts. If it turns out the private sector cannot handle the extra ridership, the council can vote to resume the program in 2026.

“The cool part about this is just because we’re ending it for 2025 doesn’t mean that door is shut forever,” Mayor Kris Hanus previously told the River News. “It takes about four months to bring it back. So if this is something that the city council wants in 2026, to bring it back, as long as we started four months roughly in the future... it could be brought back for ‘26, ‘27, ‘28.”

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected]