A new last-mile service set to launch in February will connect the city's residents with job-rich suburbs.
"A new transportation service will attempt to provide a low-cost, on-demand connection between central city Milwaukee residents and Waukesha County employers," reports Jeramey Jannene.
The service, known as FlexRide Milwaukee, will pick up passengers at five locations and drop them off within two designated "employment zones" in an attempt to fill a gap in existing bus service. As Jannene writes, "the pilot study is being billed as a micro-transit effort that will attempt to bridge the spatial mismatch between residents on the north side of Milwaukee and suburban employers."
Milwaukee implemented a similar service on a fixed schedule, JobLines, in 2015, which was shut down in 2019. The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC), which is leading the study along with UW-Milwaukee, hopes the new on-demand service will serve as a more effective connection for commuters.
When the service launches in February, riders will be able to request a ride by phone or using a mobile app. A similar effort is underway to provide the service in other nearby communities.
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
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