Existing Public Transit Systems

# 94309 v2 210-1016 AB/SD/sd/mlh 2/17/09

Preliminary Draft

SEWRPC Community Assistance Planning Report No. 281

KENOSHA COUNTY TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2010-2014

Chapter II

EXISTING PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes in detail the characteristics of both the City of Kenosha-operated Kenosha Area Transit and the County-operated Western Kenosha County Transit. Both systems’ service operations, equipment and facilities, ridership, and costs are presented. A summary of the other major public transit service providers in the County follows, including local and intercity bus service, rail passenger service, taxicab service, and human services transportation providers for elderly and disabled persons.

THE KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT SYSTEM

Urban public transit service has been available in the City of Kenosha since 1903, when streetcar operations began. Public transit service in the Kenosha area was provided exclusively by streetcars until 1932, when that service was replaced by a system of electric trolley bus—or “trackless trolley”—routes. The trolleybus system was converted to motor bus operation after World War II. Continuous declines in ridership and profits during the postwar period resulted in a series of private ownerships until February 1971, when, because of extreme financial difficulties, the last private operator ceased local bus operations. In September 1971, after almost eight months without local transit service, the City of Kenosha acquired the transit system, which it had subsidized for the previous two years, and began public operation of the Kenosha transit system.

Administrative Structure The City of Kenosha owns Kenosha Area Transit and operates it using public employees under the direct supervision of the City of Kenosha Department of Transportation. The policy-making body of the transit system is the Kenosha Transit Commission, consisting of seven members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Common Council. The powers of the Transit Commission are substantial, including essentially all the powers necessary to acquire, operate, and manage the transit system. The Kenosha Common Council has the ultimate responsibility for review and approval of certain important matters, including the annual budget for the public transit program.

Fixed-Route Bus Service Kenosha Area Transit provides fixed-route bus service using a system of regular bus routes, shown on Map 2-1. The current operating characteristics, service levels, and fares for the system are summarized below.

Regular Routes Kenosha Area Transit operates ten regular bus routes. Seven of these routes are downtown-oriented and either start from, or pass through, the Downtown Transit Center, located along 54th Street between 6th and 8th Avenues on the north side of the Kenosha Central Business District (CBD). All seven of these downtown-oriented routes have small segments that pass through portions of the Town of Somers and/or the Village of Pleasant Prairie. Three of the regular bus routes are not downtown-oriented and start at Southport Plaza at Green Bay Road and 75th Street, which is also a transfer point for several of the downtown-oriented routes. The three routes serve development west of Green Bay Road (STH 31) in the Town of Bristol, the Town of Somers, and/or the Village of Pleasant Prairie, in addition to the western portion of the City of Kenosha.

All the principal routes – Route Nos. 1 through 6 and 30 -- serve a common transfer point at the Downtown Transit Center. The schedules of Route Nos. 1 through 6 are designed so that all routes meet at the Downtown Transit Center every half hour during weekday peak periods and every hour at all other times, according to their headways. This cycle, or “pulse,” scheduling allows passengers the opportunity to transfer conveniently between bus routes and complete a trip with a minimum of delay. Route No. 30 also serves the Downtown Transit Center and meets the other routes of the system, but because it is operated with a lower service frequency than Route Nos. 1 through 6, it meets these routes less often.

Peak-Hour Tripper Routes The peak-hour tripper routes are designed to accommodate the movement of junior and senior high school students and alleviate overcrowding on the regular bus routes. During the 2008-2009 school year, the transit system operated 24 tripper routes between 6:30 and 8:15 a.m. and 27 tripper routes between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. on schooldays. Because the routes are designed to provide direct service between the homes and schools of students, the routes, for the most part, are operated independently of the regular routes and most do not serve the downtown transfer point.

2 SD/rm Doc # 123838 02/18/09 Map 2-1

FIXED-ROUTE TRANSIT SERVICE PROVIDED BY KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2009

SEE INSET

ROUTE NO. 1 ROUTE NO. 6 STREETCAR (SEE INSET)

ROUTE NO. 2 ROUTE NO. 30 DOWNTOWN TRANSIT CENTER (SEE INSET) ROUTE NO. 3 ROUTE NO. 31 ! NORTH AND SOUTH TRANSFER POINTS METRA COMMUTER RAIL STATION ROUTE NO. 4 ROUTE NO. 35 GRAPHIC SCALE

0 .5 1 MIL E ROUTE NO. 5 ROUTE NO. 36 ONE QUARTER-MILE WALK ACCESS AREA 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 FEET

2a Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC. ³ 0 0.5 1 2 Miles AAB/SD/rlm 2/18/09 Doc#118870

Inset for Map 2-1

50TH ST.

PL.

51ST. 51ST. PL.

52ND ST.

DOWNTOWN SHER TRANSIT a T. CENTER . 53RD S IDAN 2N 54TH ST RR.

D R

4TH A D

ST. 6TH E. H H 54T A

7 VE TH ST. . ST. 55TH

ST. 56TH AVE. ST. AVE. AVE. 57TH .

PACIFIC ST

AV . 58TH . AV

E E

. V E A

. ST. H T 6 59TH AVE. R 4TH

D 59TH . LAKE PL. 60TH ST. ST. MICHIGAN AVE. AVE. AVE.

ST. 61ST ST. 61ST AVE. 9TH AVE. 10TH 11TH AVE. 62ND ST. 13TH 3RD 5TH UNION 12TH

ROUTE NO. 1 ROUTE NO. 30 STREETCAR

ROUTE NO. 2 ROUTE NO. 31 (SEE LARGE MAP) DOWNTOWN TRANSIT CENTER

ROUTE NO. 3 ROUTE NO. 35 (SEE LARGE MAP) ! NORTH AND SOUTH TRANSFER POINTS (SEE LARGE MAP)

ROUTE NO. 4 ROUTE NO. 36 (SEE LARGE MAP) METRA COMMUTER RAIL STATION

ROUTE NO. 5 ONE QUARTER-MILE WALK ACCESS AREA ROUTE NO. 6

GRAPHIC SCALE 0 500 1000 FEET aALL ROUTES TRAVEL THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN TRANSIT CENTER WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ROUTES 31, 35, AND 36.

Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC. 2b

Service Levels The current operating characteristics and service levels for the regular routes of the transit system are presented in Table 2-1. Local bus service over Route Nos. 1 through 31 is provided six days a week, excluding Sundays and holidays. Operating headways for Route Nos. 1 through 6 are 30 minutes during weekday peak periods and 60 minutes during weekday off-peak periods and all day Saturdays. Route No. 30 operates between the common transfer point and Southport Plaza with operating headways of 80 minutes all day, while Route No. 31 shuttles from Southport Plaza to the Factory Outlet Center with operating headways of 40 minutes during weekday peak periods and 80 minutes at all other times. Route No. 35 is limited to four trips during weekday peak periods, and Route No. 36 to five trips during weekday peak periods.

Fares As shown in Table 2-2, the current cash fares charged for fixed-route bus service are $1.25 per trip for adults 18 through 64 years of age, $0.70 per trip for students ages five through 17, and $0.60 per trip for elderly persons 65 and older and disabled individuals ages five and over. Children under five ride free if accompanied by an adult. The Kenosha Unified School District subsidizes the fares of a limited number of students residing two or more miles from the school they are entitled to attend. They are provided with bus passes which allow them to use the transit system on regular school days at no direct cost to them. Passengers may also purchase a monthly pass, good for unlimited riding during all hours of system operation during the month, and a special Saturday “Super Transfer,” good for unlimited riding on Saturdays. Free one-hour transfers are issued upon request at the time the fare is paid and may be used to transfer to any route, including the route from which the transfer was issued.

The historic transit fares for Kenosha Area Transit since it began public operation in 1971 are shown in Figure 2-1 in both actual dollars and constant 1971 dollars. After being reduced in September 1971 to promote transit ridership, passenger fares remained stable through January 1979, but have been increased several times since then in response to increasing costs of operation and declining Federal operating subsidies. The City increased fares for the first time in 12 years in January 2009, when the price of an adult cash fare went from $1.00 to $1.25 per trip; the elderly and disabled cash fare went from $0.50 to $0.60; and the student cash fare went from $0.60 to $0.70. Even with this series of past fare increases, the current adult cash fare in constant dollars is about the same as the fare of $0.25 per trip in effect when the City began public operation of the system in 1971.

Kenosha Streetcar Since 2000, Kenosha Area Transit has operated a 1.7-mile streetcar loop in downtown Kenosha (see Map 2-1 inset). The streetcar leaves the downtown Transit Center every 15 minutes and serves the Metra commuter rail station, the HarborPark residential development, the Kenosha Public Museum, and other downtown locations.

SD/cr/rlm # 94505 2/5/09

Table 2-1

KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT OPERATING AND SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS BY ROUTE: 2009

Service Availability Round Trip Weekdays Saturdays Route Bus Route Length Start Time Start Time Start Time Start Time (miles) First Trip Last Trip First Trip Last Trip (a.m.) (p.m.) (a.m.) (p.m.)

1 31.3 5:55 7:05a 5:55 5:35a 2 26.0 5:55 7:05a 5:55 5:35a 3 28.4 5:55 7:05a 5:55 5:35a 4 28.6 5:55 7:05a 5:55 5:35a 5 28.4 5:55 7:05a 5:55 5:35a 6 15.4 5:55 7:05a 5:55 5:35a 30 11.4 6:25 5:40a 8:25 5:40a 31 11.8 6:45 6:00 8:45 4:45 35 14.1 6:45 4:44 - - - - 36 15.4 6:45 4:05 - - - -

Subtotal 210.8 ------

Peak-Hour - - 6:32 3:43 - - - - Tripper Routes

Service Frequency (Minutes) Buses Required

Bus Route Weekdays Saturdays Weekdays Saturdays

A.M. Peak Off-Peak P.M. Peak All Day A.M. Peak Off-Peak P.M. Peak All Day

1 30 60 30 60 4 2 4 2

2 30 60 30 60 4 2 4 2 3 30 60 30 60 4 2 4 2 4 30 60 30 60 4 2 4 2 5 30 60 30 60 4 2 4 2 6 30 60 30 60 2 1 2 1 30 80 80 80 80 1 1 1 1 31 40 80 40 80 1 1 1 1 35 2 trips - - 2 trips - - 1 - - 1 - - 36 2 trips - - 3 trips - - 1 - - 1 - - Subtotal ------26 13 26 13

Peak-Hour b 24 trips - - 27 trips - - 12 - - 14 - - Tripper Routes

System Total ------32 12 34 12 a Time shown is for the last trip departing the common transfer point in the Kenosha central business district. b On Wednesdays, 24 buses are required.

Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.

SD/sd 2/5/09 Doc#94506

Table 2-2

FARES FOR FIXED-ROUTE BUS SERVICE PROVIDED BY KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2009

Elderly Adults Students (age 65 and over) Fare Category (age 18 through 64) (age 5 through 17) and Disabled (age 5 and over)

Regular Route Service Cash ...... $1.25 per trip $0.70 per trip $0.60 per tripa Tokens b ...... $1.25 per trip - - - - Transfers ...... Free Free Free Saturday Supertransfer c ...... $2.00 - - - - Monthly Passes ...... $34.00 $20.00 $17.00d School Bus Passes e ...... - - $1.20 per school day - - a To qualify, a person must be at least 65 years of age, have a doctor's certification of disability, or obtain a certification of disability from a local agency for disabled persons. A Medicare card or a reduced fare photo identification card, which is issued to persons qualifying for the program, must be shown to the bus driver upon request at the time the reduced fare is paid. b Tokens are sold at the City of Kenosha Clerk's office in packets of ten each and at the Kenosha transit system administrative offices in any quantity. c Special fare paid in lieu of cash fare, allowing unlimited riding on Saturday. d The Kenosha Unified School District distributes monthly passes to exceptional education students and reimburses the Kenosha transit system for the passes issued at the rate shown. e The Kenosha Unified School District remits payments to Kenosha Area Transit to transport a limited number of students if they live within certain boundaries jointly agreed upon by the City of Kenosha and the District and if the school they attend is farther than two miles from their home or the trip poses special hazards. Such students are issued a school bus pass allowing them to ride the transit system free of charge on regular school days. In the 2008-09 school year, the District reimbursed the transit system at the rate shown for an estimated 2,762 students transported each day.

Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation, Kenosha Unified School District, and SEWRPC.

3b SD/cr/rlm Figure 2 - 1 2/18/09 Doc#119030 HISTORIC FARES FOR FIXED-ROUTE BUS SERVICE PROVIDED BY KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 1971-2009

ADULT CASH FARE 1.40

1.30

1.20

1.10

1.00

0.90

0.80 ACTUAL DOLLARS 0.70

0.60 DOLLARS

0.50

0.40

0.30 CONSTANT DOLLARS

0.20

0.10

0.00 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 YEAR ELDERLY AND DISABLED 1.10

1.00

0.90

0.80

0.70

0.60 ACTUAL DOLLARS

0.50 DOLLARS

0.40

0.30

0.20 CONSTANT DOLLARS

0.10

0.00 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 YEAR STUDENT CASH FARE 1.10

1.00

0.90

0.80

0.70 ACTUAL DOLLARS

0.60

0.50 DOLLARS

0.40

0.30

CONSTANT DOLLARS 0.20

0.10

0.00 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 YEAR

a STUDENT FARES WERE INTRODUCED IN 1980. 3c Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC. Weekdays, the streetcar operates from 11:05 a.m. to 7:05 p.m. April through December, and from 10:05 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. January through March. On Saturdays and Sundays, the streetcar operates year-round from 10:05 a.m. until 5:35 p.m. The fare is $0.50 per trip for all passengers. The streetcar has become one of the area’s top tourist attractions. In December of 2005, the City Council voted to study expansion of the current downtown route to the city's southwest and through the Uptown business district.

Paratransit Service for Disabled Individuals In addition to fixed-route bus and streetcar service, the City of Kenosha also provides paratransit service to serve the travel needs of disabled individuals. This service is provided to comply with Federal regulations implementing the public transit requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. These regulations require each public entity providing fixed-route transit service to provide paratransit service to disabled individuals as a complement to its fixed-route service.

The current eligibility requirements for, and service characteristics of, the City’s paratransit service are summarized in Table 2-3. The paratransit service is designed to provide door-to-door transportation to disabled individuals who are unable to use the fixed-route bus service provided by Kenosha Area Transit. To provide the service, the City of Kenosha annually participates in, and contributes funds toward the operation of, the “Care-A- Van” paratransit program, administered by the Kenosha County Division of Aging and Disability Services and sponsored jointly by the City and County. The Care-A-Van program provides door-to-door transportation east of IH 94 to elderly or disabled individuals unable to use, or living outside the service area of, the Kenosha Area Transit fixed-route service. Users are generally required to make reservations no later than the day before the trip. Because it is a joint program between the City and the County, the Care-A-Van service area is significantly larger than the Federally-required paratransit service area for Kenosha Area Transit. The County and City contract with the Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc., to operate the Care-A-Van program.

In addition to this paratransit service, disabled individuals can also use accessible bus service provided on the City’s regular bus routes. A total of 35, or almost two-thirds, of the 56 buses in the transit system fleet are accessible to individuals using wheelchairs. The City uses these buses to provide a limited level of accessible bus service by assigning the buses to scheduled trips on an advance-reservation basis. Disabled individuals intending to use the service are advised to call the transit system at least 24 hours in advance of the time service is needed and indicate on what routes and at what time they would like to travel.

Equipment and Facilities The current Kenosha Area Transit bus fleet is listed in Table 2-4. The total fleet consists of 56 diesel-powered buses, used on the regular and peak-hour tripper routes of the system. A total of 54, or about 96 percent, of these buses are equipped with air conditioning, and 35, or almost two-thirds, are equipped with wheelchair lifts or 4

SD/rlm 2/2/09 Doc# 94507

Table 2-3

OPERATING AND SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPLEMENTARY PARATRANSIT SERVICE FOR DISABLED INDIVIDUALS PROVIDED BY KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT AND KENOSHA COUNTY: 2009

Complementary Paratransit Service Characteristics Provided by the Care-A-Van Program a

Eligibility • Elderly or disabled individuals who cannot use Kenosha Area Transit or who reside outside the service area of the transit system

Response Time • Service provided on a next-day reservation basis and provided on a shorter notice whenever capacity permits • Reservation service for trip requests available Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m, and Saturdays 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m.

Restrictions or Priorities Placed on Trips • None

Fares • $1.00 per one-way trip to and from approved nutritional sites • $2.00 per one-way trip for all other trips

Hours and Days of Operation • Monday-Saturday: 6:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m • Sundays: 10:05 a.m. – 5:35 p.m. (only for trips to and from any destination within three-quarters of a mile of the Kenosha streetcar route)

Service Area • Service provided to and from any destination in Kenosha County east of IH 94, and the commercial area at the intersection of IH 94 and STH 50 a Service provided on a contract basis by the Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc.

Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.

4a sd/SD #124604 2/2/2009 Table 2-4

KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT VEHICLE FLEET: 2009

Special Equipment Number of Seats per Year of Air Wheelchair Kneeling Manufacturer Vehicles Vehicle Manufacture Conditioning Lift/Ramp Feature Buses Gillig Phantom 3 39 1990 Yes No No Orion 3 47 1990 Yes No No Orion 6 45 1991 Yes No No Orion 7 47 1991 Yes No No Orion 2 35 1992 No No No Flxible 10 28 1993 Yes Lift Yes Gillig 1 36 1994 Yes No No Nova 3 37 1999 Yes Ramp Yes Gillig 8 26 2004 Yes Ramp Yes Gillig 4 32 2004 Yes Ramp Yes Gillig 9 32 2005 Yes Ramp Yes Total Buses 56 ------Streetcars St. Louis Car Company 5451951 No Lift No

Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.

4b ramps to serve disabled individuals using wheelchairs. The average age from the original manufacture date for the bus fleet is about 12 years.

For the streetcar line, the transit system purchased five historic streetcars originally built in 1951, and remanufactured in 1991. Each Kenosha car is painted in unique colors representing a historic American transit system that operated streetcars. All five cars are equipped with wheelchair lifts in the rear doorways.

The fixed facilities used by the transit system are shown on Map 2-2 and consist of the following:

• Two off-street transfer centers with multiple shelters and bus loading bays. The Downtown Transit Center can accommodate 12 buses at a single platform to facilitate transfers between buses. The Southport mall transfer center can accommodate 4 buses.

• Kenosha Area Transit’s new bus-storage facility and maintenance garage is located at 4303 39th Avenue. The facility consists of a 134,000 square foot building completed in 2006. It is used exclusively for transit program functions, including bus storage and maintenance, vehicle cleaning and servicing, parts storage, employee activities, and the offices of the City of Kenosha Department of Transportation. Services provided by the Department of Transportation to the general public consist of the sale of monthly bus passes and the distribution of transit system information, including route maps and schedules.

• The Kenosha streetcars are housed in and maintained at the Joseph McCarthy Transit Center building at the Downtown Transit Center at 54th Street and 8th Avenue. The McCarthy Transit Center is used exclusively for streetcar storage and maintenance. No public services are provided at the facility.

• The Kenosha Municipal Building, on the northern edge of the Kenosha CBD, at 625 52nd Street, houses the offices and public meeting rooms of the Mayor of the City of Kenosha, the Kenosha Common Council, and the Kenosha Transit and Parking Commission. Services to the general public performed in this building include the sale of monthly bus passes and the issuing of photo identification cards to elderly and disabled persons who qualify for reduced fares.

Ridership and Service Levels Ridership and service levels for the Kenosha Area Transit have gone through several phases since the system began public operation in September 1971, as Figure 2-2 shows. From 1971 to 1980, the transit system experienced steadily increasing ridership each year. Over this period ridership increased about 167 percent to about 1.34 million revenue passengers in 1980. The period was one of major transit service improvement and

5 SD/rlm Doc # 127062 2/18/09 Map 2-2

LOCATION OF FIXED FACILITIES FOR KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2009

) BUS STORAGE AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY BUS TRANSFER CENTER

" STREETCAR MAINTENANCE FACILITY METRA COMMUTER RAIL STATION

KENOSHA MUNICIPAL BUILDING

STREETCAR TRACKS ³ 0 0.5 1 2 Miles

Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC. 5a SD/sd/rm 1/30/09 Doc# 123778 Figure 2-2

HISTORIC RIDERSHIP AND SERVICE LEVELS ON KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 1971-2008

2,000

1,800

1,600 ANNUAL REVENUE PASSENGERS

1,400

1,200

1,000 .

800 REVENUE VEHICLE MILES

600

400 SERVICE CHARACTERISTIC (THOUSANDS) SERVICE REVENUE VEHICLE MILES 200

0 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 YEAR

5b Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC. expansion occurring immediately after the City began public operation of the transit system, during which time the City implemented a restructured system of routes, revised service schedules, reduced and stabilized transit fares, and introduced a fleet of new buses.

From 1981 to 1992, the predominant trend on the Kenosha Area Transit was one of declining transit ridership. System ridership decreased to about 1.1 million revenue passengers in 1992, or about 18 percent below the 1980 level. Factors contributing to the decline in ridership over this period include several fare increases; decreases in annual revenue vehicle-miles and vehicle-hours operated by the system; a drop in employment within the City of Kenosha, due to manufacturing plant closings; and other external factors including modest declines in the school- age population; declining gasoline prices; modest increases in vehicle availability; and stable levels of zero- automobile households.

From 1992 to 2002, the transit system experienced increasing ridership. Factors contributing to the ridership increase include increases in revenue vehicle miles and vehicle hours operated by the system; a restructuring of bus routes implemented in August 1993 on the recommendations of the transit system development plan completed in 1991; and strong growth in residential, commercial, and industrial development in the City. The population of school-aged children also grew substantially, increasing by about 25 percent between 1990 and 2000. School trips constitute over half of the average weekday ridership in the regular routes of the transit system. Figure 2-2 shows a sharp drop in ridership in 2002 due to a change in the way the transit system counted ridership on peak-hour school tripper routes and a 7 percent reduction in vehicle-miles of service to 1.09 million vehicle-miles.

Systemwide ridership and service levels on the transit system for the most recent five-year period, 2004 through 2008, are shown in Table 2-5. Since 2004, systemwide ridership numbers have risen from about 1.50 million revenue passengers in 2004 to about 1.58 million revenue passengers in 2008, representing an increase of about 5 percent. Ridership numbers remained fairly constant between 2004 and 2007, reflecting the lack of service changes or fare increases. The ridership increases in 2007 and 2008 may also reflect the effect higher motor fuel prices had on automobile travel.

Table 2-5 presents the ridership on the City’s Federally required complementary paratransit service for disabled individuals provided through the Care-A-Van specialized transportation program administered by the Kenosha County Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services. From 2004 through 2008, an average of about 16,600 trips per year were made on this service.

The total weekday ridership on the regular bus routes, based on passenger counts conducted by Commission staff April 25 through 27, 2006, is presented in Table 2-6. As indicated in this table, Route Nos. 3 and 5 accounted for

SD/rlm/sd 1/29/2009 Doc# 94517

Table 2-5

ANNUAL RIDERSHIP AND SERVICE LEVELS ON KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2004-2008

Year Five-Year Characteristic 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Average Primary Service Area Populationa 92,800 93,800 94,500 95,500 95,900 94,500 Service Provided Revenue Vehicle-Miles 1,060,900 1,071,200 1,066,700 1,073,300 1,040,100 1,062,400 Revenue Vehicle-Hours 80,400 73,900 73,600 73,900 73,200 75,000 Revenue Passengers Regular and Peak-Hour Tripper Bus Routes 1,429,600 1,402,200 1,424,000 1,460,600 1,498,800 1,443,000 Streetcar Service 55,100 51,600 49,300 61,800 62,200 56,000 Paratransit Service 17,400 14,800 15,400 17,000 18,300 16,600 Total 1,502,100 1,468,600 1,488,700 1,539,400 1,579,300 1,515,600 Service Effectiveness Revenue Passengers per Capita 16.2 15.7 15.8 16.1 16.5 16.0 Revenue Passengers per Vehicle-Mile 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 Revenue Passengers per Vehicle-Hour 18.7 19.9 20.2 20.8 21.6 20.2

a Based upon the estimated resident population of the City of Kenosha.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, City of Kenosha Department of Transportation, and SEWRPC.

SD/rlm 04/13/07 # 94519

Table 2-6

AVERAGE WEEKDAY RIDERSHIP ON KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT’S REGULAR BUS ROUTES: MARCH 2006

Total Boarding Passengersa Route

Number Percent Number of Total 1 610 12.2 2 780 15.6 3 1,000 20.0 4 710 14.2 5 1,070 21.4 6 390 7.8 30 140 2.8 31 90 1.8 35 90 1.8 36 10 0.2 Streetcar 110 2.2 Total 5,000 100.0

aThis measure of ridership counts passengers as they are boarding the vehicle. A person who boards one bus, then transfers to another bus to get to their final destination will be counted twice.

Source: SEWRPC.

6b 2,070 riders, or about 41 percent of the total weekday ridership on the City of Kenosha transit system during this period.

Operating and Capital Costs Kenosha Area Transit’s operating expenses are funded through a combination of farebox revenues, and Federal, State, and local funds. Capital expenditures are funded through a combination of Federal and local funds. The historic trend of the operating expenses, revenues, and deficits of the transit system since it began public operation in 1971 are shown in Figure 2-3, both in actual dollars and in constant 1971 dollars. A summary of the recent trends in operating expenses, revenues deficits, and local subsidies on the transit system is shown in Table 2-7 for the period 2003-2007, while information on transit system capital expenditures over this same period is shown in Table 2-8. The following observations may be made on the basis of an examination of the information:

• Operating expenses and deficits for the transit system rose in both actual and constant dollars between 1971 and 1992. A modest decrease in operating expenses and deficits occurred in 1981 and 1982 as the City increased midday headways from 30 to 60 minutes. In 1993, service was restructured on the basis of the recommendations of the previous transit system development plan, which included modest service increases and resulted in slightly higher annual operating expenses. Expenses and deficits then rose steadily each year in constant and actual dollars, reflecting stable service levels but increasing costs until 2000, when the City added streetcar service, resulting in a jump in operating expenses and deficits. Three years later, operating expenses and deficits rose sharply again with the restructuring of bus service west of Green Bay Road that resulted in the current configurations of Route Nos. 30, 31, 35 and 36.

• During the five years from 2003 through 2007, average annual expenditures for operating the transit system amounted to about $6.00 million. Of this total, about $1.01 million came from farebox and other miscellaneous revenue. The remaining $4.99 million was the average annual public operating subsidy which had to be funded through Federal and State transit operating assistance programs and local property taxes from the City of Kenosha. The City of Kenosha has provided an average of $1.43 million annually from property taxes towards the system’s operating expenses.

• The portion of total operating expenses funded by State operating assistance and local property taxes has changed significantly between 2003 and 2007, as illustrated in Figure 2-4. In 2003, State operating assistance was about $1.64 million, or about 29 percent of transit system operating expenses; the total City funding amounted to about $1.25 million, or about 22 percent of operating expenses. By 2007, even though State funding had increased by 3 percent to about $1.69 million, it covered a smaller proportion (about 26 percent) of system operating expenses; the total City funding had increased by 34 percent to about $1.67 million, and covered an increased share (about 25 percent) of operating expenses.

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6.5

6.0

5.5 OPERATING REVENUES OPERATING ASSISTANCE 5.0 OPERATING EXPENSES 4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5 DOLLARSS MILLIONSIN

2.0

1.5

1.0

.0 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 YEAR =

`lkpq^kq=NVTN=alii^op= 6.0

5.5

5.0 OPERATING REVENUES 4.5 OPERATING ASSISTANCE

4.0 OPERATING EXPENSES

3.5

3.0

2.5 DOLLARS MILLIONSS IN

2.0

1.5

1.0

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Table 2-7

ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES, REVENUES, AND DEFICITS FOR KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2003-2007

Year Five-Year Characteristic 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Average

Revenue Passengers Regular and Peak-Hour Tripper Bus Routes ...... 1,437,300 1,429,600 1,402,200 1,423,900 1,460,600 1,430,800 Streetcar Service ...... 60,300 55,100 51,600 49,300 61,800 55,600 Paratransit Service ...... 15,000 17,400 14,800 15,400 17,000 15,900

Total 1,512,600 1,502,100 1,468,600 1,488,600 1,539,400 1,502,300

Costs, Revenues, and Public Assistance Operating Expenses...... $5,669,600 $5,596,200 $6,161,600 $6,014,800 $6,561,600 $6,000,800 Operating Revenues ...... 926,600 947,200 1,040,400 1,037,000 1,091,900 1,008,600

Required Public Assistance ...... 4,743,000 4,649,000 5,121,200 4,977,800 5,469,700 4,992,200

Percent of Expenses Recovered through Revenues ...... 16.3 16.9 16.9 17.2 16.6 16.8

Source of Public Assistance Funds Federal ...... $1,852,600$1,718,400 $1,747,400 $1,989,300 $2,104,900 $1,882,500 State ...... 1,636,600 1,725,900 1,665,100 1,662,000 1,690,100 1,675,900 City ...... 1,253,8001,204,700 1,708,700 1,326,500 1,674,700 1,433,700

Total $4,743,000 $4,649,000 $5,121,200 $4,977,800 $5,469,700 $4,992,100

Per Trip Data Operating Cost ...... $3.75 $3.73 $4.20 $4.04 $4.26 $3.99 Revenue ...... 0.61 0.63 0.71 0.70 0.71 0.67 Total Public Assistance ...... 3.14 3.10 3.49 3.34 3.55 3.32 Local Public Assistance ...... 0.83 0.80 1.16 0.89 1.09 0.95

Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation, City of Kenosha Department of Transportation, and SEWRPC.

7b OD/SD/sd/edl 2/18/09 # 94525

Table 2-8

ANNUAL CAPITAL PROJECT EXPENDITURES BY FUNDING SOURCE FOR KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2004-2008

Capital Expenditures by Year Five-Year Characteristic 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Average

Capital Project Type Bus Fleet Expansion, Replacement, $2,500,000 $3,550,000 $1,680,000 - - $1,785,000 $1,903,000 or Rehabilitation ...... Facility Renovation or Replacement ...... - - 8,285,500 4,354,000 - - - - 2,527,900 Fixed Guideway Fleet Expansion, Replacement, or ------Rehabilitation ...... Fixed Guideway Facility Construction ...... ------Other ...... - - - - 81,400 $1,843,500 - - 385,000

Total $2,500,000 $11,835,500 $6,115,400 $1,843,500 $1,785,000 $4,815,900

Source of Funds Federal ...... $2,000,000 $9,468,400 $4,892,300 $1,474,800 $1,412,000 $3,849,500 City ...... 500,000 2,367,100 1,223,100 368,700 373,000 966,400

Total $2,500,000 $11,835,500 $6,115,400 $1,843,500 $1,785,000 $4,815,900

Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.

7c SD/sd/rlm 2/2/09 Doc# 123844

Figure 2-4

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES FOR KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2003 AND 2007

2003 2007 LOCAL FUNDS LOCAL FUNDS $1,253,800 $1,674,700 OPERATING OPERATING 22% 25% REVENUE REVENUE $926,600 $1,091,900 16% 17%

FEDERAL FUNDS FEDERAL FUNDS $1,852,600 $2,104,900 33% 32% STATE FUNDS STATE FUNDS $1,636,600 $1,690,100 29% 26%

Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.

• The average annual capital expenditures on the transit system between 2004 and 2008 amounted to about $4.82 million, principally for bus replacement and the construction of the new garage starting in 2005. Of this annual average, about $3.85 million, or about 80 percent, came from Federal programs providing transit capital assistance; the remaining $0.97 million, or about 20 percent, came from the City of Kenosha.

WESTERN KENOSHA COUNTY TRANSIT

In September 2007, the Kenosha County Department of Human Services initiated operation of Western Kenosha County Transit. Service on the system currently consists of three fixed bus routes connecting communities in western rural Kenosha County with the City of Kenosha to the east, the Village of Antioch, Illinois to the south, and the City of Lake Geneva in Walworth County to the west; and one bus that provides advance reservation, door-to-door service for western Kenosha County residents that are not served by the three bus routes or who cannot use the fixed routes because they are disabled. The County has been awarded a Federal grant to purchase a second bus for the advance reservation, door-to-door service in 2009.

Administrative Structure Kenosha County contracts with the non-profit Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc. to operate the system with its own staff and vehicles. The Division of Aging and Disability Services in the Kenosha County Department of Human Services oversees the system’s operation. The Kenosha County Board has the ultimate responsibility for review and approval of the transit system’s budget and other policies.

Fixed-Route Bus Service The 2009 operating characteristics, service levels, and fares for Western Kenosha County Transit’s three fixed routes are summarized below.

Routes Western Kenosha County Transit operates three fixed bus routes, shown on Map 2-3:

• Route No. 1 starts at Southport Plaza in the City of Kenosha, where it allows for transfers to or from several Kenosha Area Transit routes, and passes through the Villages of Paddock Lack, Silver Lake, and Twin Lakes, ending at the Aurora Medical Center in the Village of Twin Lakes.

• Route No. 2 is a circular route starting at Village Plaza in Paddock Lake, where it allows for transfers to or from Route No. 1. The route travels through the Towns of Salem and Bristol and has stops at several

locations in the Village of Antioch, Illinois, including at the Metra station on the North Central Service line.

• Route No. 3 serves multiple destinations in and around the Village of Twin Lakes, and provides service over a route extension to Wheatland Estates in the Town of Wheatland twice a day, and service through the Village of Powers Lake to the City of Lake Geneva in Walworth County four times a day.

Service Levels Table 2-9 shows the current operating characteristics and service levels for the regular routes of Western Kenosha County Transit. The routes operate Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Operating headways for Route Nos. 1 and 2 are two hours. Route No. 3 operates with two variations: local service within the Village of Twin Lakes that operates every 60 to 90 minutes; and express service between the Village of Twin Lakes and the City of Lake Geneva that operates four times daily.

Fares The current cash fare charged for fixed-route bus service on Western Kenosha County Transit is $2.00 per one- way trip. Passengers may also purchase a monthly pass for unlimited rides on the Western Kenosha County Transit routes for $10; or a punch card for 11 one-way rides with no expiration date for $20. Free transfers are issued upon request when paying the fare, and must be used the same day for completing a one-way trip. Transfers may also be used to transfer to City-operated Kenosha Area Transit routes.

Advance Reservation Door-to-Door Service In addition to the three fixed bus routes, Western Kenosha County Transit provides advance-reservation door-to- door service for Kenosha County residents that cannot complete their trip using only the fixed bus routes. Passengers may be required to transfer to a fixed bus route to complete their trip, if possible. The door-to-door service operates from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; requests for rides must be made at least one day in advance. The cash fare for this service is $3 per one-way trip or $2 per one-way trip for persons with physical or cognitive disabilities.

Equipment and Facilities Western Kenosha County Transit is operated using a total of four vehicles that are either owned or leased by the Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc.. Two vehicles are garaged in the Town of Randall and two are garaged at the Kenosha Achievement Center’s offices in the City of Kenosha at Sheridan Road and 79th Street, where maintenance for all four vehicles is performed. There are currently no fixed transit shelters or stations along the routes. Kenosha County has been approved to receive a 2009 grant from the Federal New Freedom program to install bus shelters and purchase a vehicle for exclusive use by Western Kenosha County Transit.

SD/sd/rlm/edl # 142752 2/18/09

Table 2-9

OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIXED-ROUTE SERVICE PROVIDED BY WESTERN KENOSHA COUNTY TRANSIT: 2009

Service Hours (Monday-Friday) Round Trip Start Time Start Time Service Route Length First Trip Last Trip Frequency Buses Bus Route (miles) (a.m.) (p.m.) (Minutes) Required

No. 1: Kenosha-Twin Lakes 45.2 7:30 4:00 120 1 No. 2: Paddock Lake-Antioch 23.3 8:00 4:30 120 1 No. 3: Twin Lakes Local 7.2 8:00 5:00 60-90 1 No. 3: Twin Lakes-Lake Geneva 34.1 8:35 3:05 4 trips daily

Fixed-Route Total 109.8 ------3

Source: Kenosha County and SEWRPC.

Ridership, Service Levels, and Financial Characteristics Systemwide ridership, service, and financial characteristics for Western Kenosha County Transit for the years 2007 and 2008 are shown in Table 2-10. In 2008, the first full year of the system’s operation, the system provided 184,000 annual revenue vehicle miles and 9,400 annual revenue vehicle hours of service. A total of 5,800 revenue passenger trips were made on the system.

The operating expenses of Western Kenosha County Transit are funded through a combination of farebox revenues and Federal, State, County, and private nonprofit agency funds. In 2008, total system operating expenses equaled $512,500. Of this total, $7,100, or about 1 percent, came from farebox revenue; $385,700, or about 76 percent, came through a Federal Supplemental Rural Transportation Assistance Program (STRAP) grant; $63,600, or about 12 percent, came from the State Section 85.21 County Elderly and Disabled Transportation Assistance Program; $46,000, or about 9 percent, came from Kenosha County property tax levy funding; and $10,000, or about 2 percent, came from the American Cancer Society.

Prior to 2009, Western Kenosha County Transit did not incur any capital expenses because the vehicles used were provided by the contract service provider, Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc. Starting in 2009, Kenosha County will have some capital expenditures for the local share of the 2009 Federal New Freedom program grant for bus shelter improvements, call center technology, and the purchase of one vehicle for the transit system.

OTHER PUBLIC TRANSIT SERVICES

Additional transit services for the general public which were provided in Kenosha County or which connected with the transit services operated by the City or County included: commuter-oriented express bus service provided by Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA; intercity bus services provided by Greyhound Lines, Inc. and Coach USA.; commuter rail service provided by Metra; intercity passenger train service provided by Amtrak; and taxicab service provided by several local taxicab companies. The general characteristics of these services are summarized in Table 2-11. The alignments of the routes for each operator are shown on Map 2-4. Each of the services may be briefly described as follows:

• Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA - Wisconsin Coach Lines, Inc. operates one route which provides commuter-oriented express bus service between the Milwaukee CBD and the Cities of Racine and Kenosha. The route’s southern terminus is a terminal at 2105 Roosevelt Road in the City of Kenosha’s “uptown” area, with buses stopping there and at several intermediate stops within the City of Kenosha, including at the Downtown Transit Center and the Metra Station. Service over the route consists of eight runs in each direction each weekday and six runs in each direction operated on weekends and holidays. The

SD/sd/edl # 142986 2/18/09

Table 2-10

OPERATING AND FINANCIAL DATA FOR WESTERN KENOSHA COUNTY TRANSIT: 2007 AND 2008

2007 Characteristic (October-December) 2008 Revenue Passengers 700 5,800 Amount of Service Provided Revenue Vehicle-Miles 35,000 184,300 Revenue Vehicle-Hours 1,800 9,400 Costs, Revenues, and Public Assistance Operating Expenses $110,900 $512,500 Operating Revenues 1,400 7,100 Required Public Assistance 109,500 505,400 Source of Public Assistance Funds Federal $87,600 $385,700 State 17,500 63,700 County 4,400 46,000 Other (American Cancer Society) - - 10,000 Total $109,500 $505,400

Source: Kenosha County and SEWRPC.

10a # 94526 02/17/09 SD/rlm/sd/rlm Table 2-11

ADDITIONAL INTERCITY AND LOCAL TRANSIT SERVICES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN KENOSHA COUNTY: 2009

Name of Service Type of Type of Days and Hours Service Vehicles Provider Provider Service of Operation Faresa Area Used

Wisconsin Publicb Express Weekdays: 5:15 a.m. - 10:30 Distance-based ranging Service between Long Coach Lines, bus p.m. from $2.00 to $4.00 for the Cities of distance Inc./Coach USA adults Kenosha, Racine, over-the-road Weekends/ and Milwaukee motor Holidays: 8:45 a.m. - 10:00 coaches Coach USA Private Intercity p.m. Distance-based One stop at IH 94 bus and STH 50 for Daily: 3:55 a.m. - 12:30 airport express to a.m. O’Hare and Midway airports

Amtrak Public Intercity Weekdays/ Distance-based; fare for No stops in the Standard passenger Saturdaysc: 6:45 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. one-way travel between study area; the intercity train Milwaukee and Sturtevant closest stop is in single-level Sundays/ is $9.50. the Village of passenger Holidays: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sturtevant in train coaches Racine County

Greyhound Private Intercity Daily service consisting of: Distance-based Two northbound Long Lines, Inc. bus 11 southbound bus trips and and southbound distance 10 northbound bus trips buses stop at the over-the-road Metra passenger motor terminal at 5414 coaches 13thAvenue; no other buses stop in the study area Metra

Union Pacific Public Commuter Weekdays: 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Zone-based; fare for one- Service from the Intercity North Line rail 2:15 p.m. - 2:15 a.m. way travel between City of Kenosha double-level Saturdays: 5:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Kenosha and Chicago is through northern passenger 12:15 p.m. - 2:15 a.m. $7.05. Chicago suburbs, train coaches Sundays/ 6:45 a.m. - to Chicago 8:45 a.m. Holidays: 4:15 p.m. - 2:15 a.m. North Central Public Commuter Zone-based; fare for one- From the Village of Intercity Service Line rail Weekdays: 5:20 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. way travel between Antioch through double-level Antioch and Chicago is northwestern passenger $7.05. Chicago suburbs, train coaches to Chicago

Taxicab Private Taxicab Seven days a week, 24 hours a Zone-based fares within Service is provided Automobiles Providersd service day City of Kenosha range primarily in the City between $4.25 and of Kenosha urban $18.00; fares for travel area outside city are distance- based.

a Fares shown are cash fares per trip. b The City of Racine acts as the public sponsor for the service. Wisconsin Coach Lines, Inc. / Coach USA is a private for-profit company under contract to the City of Racine for the bus service. c Indicates time of service in the Village of Sturtevant in Racine County, which is the closest station to the study area. d The following six taxicab companies provided service in Kenosha County: Black and White Cab Company, Checker Cab Company, CMB Taxi, Keno Cab Company, Southport Transportation, and Yellow Cab Company.

Source: SEWRPC.

10b

company’s service is oriented principally towards serving City of Racine and Kenosha passengers commuting to and from Milwaukee County, but can also be used to travel between Racine and Kenosha.

• Coach USA – Coach USA operates an Airport Express route service over IH 94 between the Milwaukee CBD and Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway Airports, including a stop at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport. Service over the route consists of 14 southbound runs and 14 northbound runs daily, with the only stop within the study area to serve Kenosha area passengers at IH 94 and STH 50. The company’s service is directed principally toward serving airport-related trips and is not conducive to general- purpose travel between Milwaukee and Chicago. Coach USA currently does not receive public financial assistance for this service.

• Amtrak - Amtrak provides publicly-subsidized intercity passenger service between the Milwaukee CBD and Chicago over the CP Rail System’s Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul main line. Amtrak’s Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha Service consists of eight trains in each direction Monday through Saturday, and seven trains in each direction on Sundays. There are no stops within Kenosha County, but all trains on the Hiawatha Service stop in the Village of Sturtevant in eastern Racine County, which is the stop located closest to Kenosha County. Amtrak service in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor serves to provide connections to other long-distance trains at the system’s hub in Chicago; however, the service is heavily used by individuals traveling to Chicago on business trips, commuting to Chicago workplaces, or making day trips to Chicago for personal or recreational purposes. Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha service is funded in part by the Wisconsin and Illinois Departments of Transportation.

• Greyhound Lines, Inc. - Greyhound Lines, Inc., operates two intercity bus routes through the County. One route provides service over IH 94 between Milwaukee and Chicago. Service over the route consists of 10 runs in each direction each day. The remaining route runs twice daily through the City of Kenosha to Chicago via Waukegan, Illinois, stopping at the Metra passenger terminal on 5414 13th Avenue. The company’s Milwaukee-Chicago services are strongly oriented towards providing connections for Milwaukee area passengers with other long-distance buses at its Chicago hub, as well as accommodating Milwaukee-Chicago trips. Greyhound Lines, Inc., currently does not receive public financial assistance for these services.

• Metra - Metra provides publicly subsidized commuter rail service between the City of Kenosha and Chicago over the Union Pacific North Line. The City of Kenosha owns the Metra station and operates a park-ride lot immediately east of the station. The Kenosha passenger terminal at 5414 13th Avenue is the northern terminus of the Metra line and the only stop in Kenosha County. The route’s principal outlying station is in Waukegan, Illinois, so only a portion of all runs on the line include the Kenosha station. On weekdays, nine

11 trains originate in Kenosha, on Saturdays, five; and on Sundays and holidays, three. The local public subsidies required to provide this service come from the Regional Transportation Authority of Northern Illinois.

Metra also provides service over the North Central Service Line to the Village of Antioch, Illinois, which is served by Route No. 2 of Western Kenosha County Transit. Metra provides 11 runs to or from its station in the Village of Antioch on weekdays. There is no service on weekends or holidays.

• Taxicab Services - Taxicab service in Kenosha County is provided by six companies with a primary focus on serving trips in the City of Kenosha: Black & White cab, Checker Cab, Keno Cab, Yellow Cab, CMB Taxi, and Southport Transportation. Within the City of Kenosha, the companies operate under a zone-based fare system established by City ordinances. Under the system, maximum fares for trips are set, with surcharges for travel outside the established zones on the basis of the distance traveled. Although all of these taxicab companies will provide service to western Kenosha County, it is not their usual service area.

HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS

Human services transportation within Kenosha County is provided by a number of public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, as well as by private for-profit transportation and specialized medical transport companies. Eligibility for service by the public and private nonprofit providers is limited to elderly individuals and/or individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities. The private for-profit providers serve the general public, particularly Medicaid recipients in need of transportation for non-emergency medical appointments or other activities such as adult day care and shopping trips. The general characteristics of the major human services transportation providers in Kenosha County are presented in Table 2-12. The services identified may be characterized as follows:

• Kenosha County Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Disability Services - Two major programs providing human services transportation within Kenosha County are administered by the Kenosha County Division of Aging and Disability Services. The first, the Care-A-Van program, provides door-to-door transportation for general travel east of IH 94 to elderly persons and disabled individuals unable to use, or living outside the Kenosha Area Transit fixed-route service area. The Care-A-Van program was described in more detail earlier, since it is also the complementary paratransit service for Kenosha Area Transit. The second program offered by the Division of Aging and Disability Services, the Volunteer Escort Program, provides transportation to ambulatory persons unable to drive or use other forms of transportation because of age or impairment, and is provided through the coordination of volunteer drivers using their own vehicles. The Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc., provides recruitment of volunteers and scheduling of service for the Volunteer Escort Program.

12 # 94528 SD/sd/rlm 2/17/09

Table 2-12

MAJOR HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED PERSONS WITHIN KENOSHA COUNTY: 2009

Name of Type of Eligible Days and Hours Type of Type of Service Service Area Fare Per Trip Service Provider Provider Users of Operation Vehicles Used

Kenosha County Aging and Disability Services

Care-A-Van Publica Advance Elderly or disabled Monday-Saturday: 6:00 a.m.- 7:30 p.m. Kenosha County $1.00 per one-way Accessible vans Program reservation, individuals who live east east of I-94 trip to and from and buses door-to-door of IH-94 who are unable nutrition sites; provided by to use Kenosha Area $2.00 per one-way Kenosha Transit buses or who live trip for all other trips Achievement outside the fixed-route Center service area Volunteer Publicb Advance Ambulatory elderly or Seven days a week depending upon Kenosha County Round trip fare: Personal Escort Program reservation, disabled individuals volunteer availability and surrounding $7.00 for less than automobiles door-through-door counties 20 miles, $15.00 for provided by more than 20 miles volunteer drivers $35.00 to Milwaukee One Way: $4.00 for less than 10 miles, $8.00 for more than 10 miles

Amer-A-Care Private, for- Advance General public Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Kenosha, Racine, Medicaid Accessible vans profit reservation, and Milwaukee reimbursement and door-through-door Counties private pay based on mileage and starting and ending destinations

Bucko Ambulatory Private, for- Advance General public, Monday-Friday: 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Kenosha County Medicaid Non-accessible Transport profit reservation, ambulatory individuals and surrounding reimbursement and sedans and vans door-to-door only counties private pay

CMB Taxi Private, for- Advance General public, 24-hours a day, seven days a week Kenosha County Zone-based fares Non-accessible profit reservation, ambulatory individuals and surrounding set by City of sedans door-through-door only counties Kenosha Taxi regulations, and Medicaid reimbursement

DRS Medical Private, Advance General public Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Kenosha, western Medicaid Wheelchair Transport nonprofit reservation, Saturdays as needed Racine, and reimbursement and accessible vans door-through-door Sundays on call Walworth private pay: $22 Counties plus $2 per mile

Erickson Private Advance General public 24 hours a day, seven days a week Kenosha and Medicaid Non-accessible Ambulance reservation, Racine Counties reimbursement and ambulances door-through-door private pay Fulfilling a Need Private, for- Advance General public Monday-Friday: 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Kenosha County Private pay Non-accessible profit reservation, Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and surrounding vans and sedans door-through-door counties

K & S Medical Private, for- Advance General public Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Kenosha, Racine, Medicaid Wheelchair Transport profit reservation, Milwaukee reimbursement and accessible vans door-through-door Counties private pay Kenosha Private, Fixed-route curb- Participants in the Monday-Friday: 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Kenosha County $40 weekly Wheelchair Achievement nonprofit to-curb services offered by the 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and northern Lake contribution accessible vans, Center, Inc. subscription Kenosha Achievement County, Illinois and non- service for Center, Inc. who are accessible vans program unable to use other and buses participants transportation services LJH Ambulance Private, for- Advance General public Every day, 24 hours a day Kenosha County Medicaid Non-accessible profit reservation, and and surrounding reimbursement and ambulance on demand, door- counties private pay to-door for medical activities Medix Wheelchair Private, for- Advance General public Monday-Friday: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Kenosha, Racine, Private pay only: Wheelchair service profit reservation, Milwaukee, and $31 for first 5 miles accessible vans door-to-door Walworth ($26 if paid at time Counties of service), then $3 per mile

12a Table 2-12 (continued)

Name of Type of Type of Service Eligible Days and Hours Service Area Fare Per Trip Vehicles Used Service Provider Provider Users of Operation Recovery Medical Private, for- Advance General public for medical Monday-Friday: 4:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Kenosha, Racine, Medicaid Wheelchair Transport profit reservation, purposes and Milwaukee reimbursement and accessible vans door-to-door Counties private pay: $25 one-way for less than 5 miles, then $1.50 per mile Southport Private, for- Advance General public, Seven days a week, including holidays: Kenosha County Zone-based fares Non-accessible Transportation profit reservation, ambulatory individuals 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. set by City of vans and sedans door-through-door only Kenosha Taxi regulations, and Medicaid reimbursement a Service provided by Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc. b Recruitment of volunteer drivers and service scheduling contracted from the Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc.

Source: SEWRPC.

12b

• Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc. - The Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc., provides subscription route services to individuals participating in the organization’s training and rehabilitative programs who are elderly, disabled, and assessed as being unable to use other transportation services, such as Kenosha Area Transit bus service. Service is provided with buses owned by the Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc., on regular routes.

• Private For-Profit Transportation Services - Eleven private for-profit transportation providers primarily serve travel for passengers in wheelchairs or those without other means of transportation for trips to and from hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians within the County and between Kenosha County and major regional medical centers outside the County. However, they also serve individuals, residential facilities, or agencies needing accessible vehicles for their general transportation needs.

SUMMARY

This chapter has presented pertinent information on both the City-operated Kenosha Area Transit and the County- operated Western Kenosha County Transit systems, as well as on the other major transit services provided in the primary study area during 2009. A summary of the most important findings follows.

1. The City of Kenosha has operated Kenosha Area Transit since September 1971. The City owns the facilities and equipment for its fixed-route transit system and operates it with public employees under the direct supervision of the City Department of Transportation. While the policy-making body of the transit system is the Kenosha Transit Commission, the ultimate responsibility for review and approval of certain important matters, including the annual budget, lies with the Kenosha Common Council.

2. Kenosha Area Transit provides fixed route bus service over a system of ten regular bus routes. Seven routes provided local bus service within the City and direct service to the Kenosha CBD, where the City has established a Downtown Transit Center to facilitate transfers. All these routes operate on a cycle, or “pulse,” schedule to further facilitate transfers. Three more routes connect the Southport Plaza transfer point with businesses and industrial parks on the western outskirts of the City and in the Village of Pleasant Prairie and the Towns of Bristol and Somers. The regular routes operate between 5:55 a.m. and 7:35 p.m. on weekdays and between 5:55 a.m. and 6:05 p.m. on Saturdays. Route Nos. 1 through 6 have headways of 30 minutes during weekday peak periods and 60 minutes during weekday off-peak periods and all day Saturday. Route Nos. 30 through 36 operate less frequently; Route Nos. 35 and 36 do not operate on Saturdays. The system also operates a system of peak-hour tripper routes during the school year, designed to accommodate junior and senior high school students. The base adult cash fare for the regular route service is $1.25 per trip, which

13 is reduced to $0.60 per trip for elderly and disabled individuals and $0.70 for students. Special reduced fares for students were provided through the Kenosha Unified School District. The transit system maintained a fleet of 56 buses to provide service over both the regular and the peak-hour tripper routes.

3. To comply with Federal regulations, the transit system also provided a paratransit service to serve the travel needs of disabled individuals unable to use Kenosha Area Transit’s fixed-route bus service. The door-to-door service was operated during the same hours as the fixed-route service and was available for all of Kenosha County east of IH 94 and the commercial area at the intersection of IH 94 and STH 50. The service was provided by Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc., through a contract with the Kenosha County Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Disability Services. Disabled individuals may also use accessible-bus service provided over the regular routes of the transit system by calling the system the day before service is needed to indicate at what time and on which route or routes they desire to travel.

4. Ridership on Kenosha Area Transit increased steadily annually from 1971 through 1980, declined from 1981 through 1992, and rose steadily from 1993 to 2001. By 2001, the transit system carried about 1.81 million revenue passengers, an increase of about 65 percent. Ridership dropped in 2002 and 2003, which may be attributed to a change in the way ridership was counted on peak-hour tripper rates and a reduction in total vehicle miles of service. Over the last five years, ridership has increased from about 1.50 million passengers in 2004 to about 1.58 million passengers in 2008, representing an increase of about 5 percent. The increase in ridership took place primarily in the years 2007 and 2008, which may be partially in response to higher motor vehicle fuel prices. Currently, Route Nos. 3 and 5 are the most heavily used of the eight regular routes in the system.

5. Over the five-year period 2003 through 2007, average annual expenditures for operating Kenosha Area Transit amounted to about $6.00 million. Of this total, about $1.01 million, was recovered through farebox and other miscellaneous revenues. The remaining $4.99 million constituted the average annual public operating subsidy which had to be funded through Federal and State transit assistance programs and local property taxes. The average annual capital expenditures for the transit system between 2004 and 2008 amounted to about $4.82 million; about 80 percent ($3.85 million) of this annual average came from Federal assistance, and 20 percent ($0.97 million) came from the City of Kenosha property tax levy. Total City funding for operating assistance to the transit system increased by 34 percent between 2004 and 2008, due in part to stable state transit operating assistance, and in part to increases in the cost of operating the service.

6. Western Kenosha County Transit provides fixed-route bus service on three regular bus routes connecting communities in western Kenosha County to the City of Kenosha to the east, the Village of Antioch, Illinois to the south, and the City of Lake Geneva in Walworth County to the west. The system also operates one bus

14 that provides advance reservation, door-to-door service for trips that cannot be made on the fixed-route buses. The system operates Mondays through Fridays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The base adult cash fare for regular route service is $2.00 per one-way trip; for door-to-door service it is $3.00, or $2.00 for persons with physical or cognitive disabilities.

7. In 2008, the first full year of operation for Western Kenosha County Transit, a total of 5,800 revenue passenger trips were made on the system. Total system operating expenses amounted to $512,000. Of this total, $7,100, or 1 percent, was recovered through farebox revenue; $385,700, or 76 percent, came from Federal assistance; $63,600, or 13 percent, came from State assistance, $46,000, or 9 percent, came from Kenosha County property tax levy, and $10,000, or 2 percent, came from a grant from the American Cancer Society. The transit system had no direct capital expenditures.

8. Additional transit services for the general public which were provided in Kenosha County or which connected with the transit services operated by the City or County included: the Wisconsin Coach Lines, Inc./Coach USA commuter bus route between the Cities of Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha; the Coach USA and Greyhound Lines intercity service between Milwaukee and Chicago; Amtrak intercity rail service between Milwaukee and Chicago; and Metra commuter rail service between Chicago and the City of Kenosha and the Village of Antioch in northern Illinois. Taxicab service was provided by six companies: Black & White Cab, Checker Cab, Keno Cab, Yellow Cab, CMB Taxi, and Southport Transportation.

9. Human services transportation within Kenosha County for the elderly and disabled is provided by a number of public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, as well as by private for-profit transportation and specialized medical transport companies. The most significant service is provided by the Kenosha County Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Disability Services, which administers the Care-A- Van program, providing advance reservation door-to-door transportation in eastern Kenosha County, and the Volunteer Escort Program, providing service throughout the County with volunteer drivers using their own vehicles. The Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc., also provides transportation for participants in its training and rehabilitative programs. Eleven private for-profit transportation providers also serve travel for passengers in wheelchairs or without other means of transportation, mostly for medical activities.

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