MADISON — Governor Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), on Dec. 19 announced $5,232,790 for local transportation services that serve seniors and those with disabilities.
“If folks anywhere in Wisconsin need help getting to a grocery store, a job or a medical appointment, they should have good, safe options,” Governor Evers said. “This funding helps connect the dots by strengthening 52 community agencies across the state that offer basic mobility.”
“A good transportation system serves everyone, and we are building on state investments with funds available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to allow community agencies to buy more vehicles and cover other operational expenses to broaden their reach,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. “An agency in a small town that can add a couple of minivans and offer the community mobility makes a big difference.”
The specialized transportation program is administered through WisDOT via the Federal Transit Administration’s Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program.
The program grants are awarded to assist local public bodies and private, non-profit agencies with providing transportation services for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Such services include mobility management, operating assistance, and vehicle purchases.
Under federal transportation law, the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton, and Green Bay administer the federal 5310 program for their geographic areas. They coordinate with WisDOT to ensure continuity of the application and project selection process. WisDOT continues to administer the specialized transportation program for the rural and smaller urban areas of the state.
The federal and state program, initiated in the mid-1970s, has helped fund the purchase of more than 2,200 vehicles in Wisconsin to provide transportation services to seniors and individuals with disabilities. In addition, approved projects for 2024 include funding for 18 mobility management projects to help coordinate transportation services, increase transportation capacity, and connect individuals with transportation services in their geographic service area. An additional 22 Operating Assistance grants will be funded to help organizations defray day-to-day costs of operating these programs. Many of the grant recipients serve smaller communities in rural areas.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provided WisDOT with an increase of funds for the 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program for a five-year period beginning in 2023.
Locally, Hodan Community Services, which serves parts of Lafayette, Iowa and Grant Counties, will receive $105,355 for a Medium Bus replacement.