The Wisconsin Department of Transportation awarded more than $5.1 million in federal and state funds to 62 urban and rural agencies on December 18 to bolster local transportation options for Wisconsin seniors and individuals with disabilities.
[Above photo by Madison Area Transportation Planning Board.]
That funding comes from specialized transportation program administered by the Wisconsin DOT via the Federal Transit Administration’s Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program.
That money covers 80 percent of the cost of vehicles local, public entities and private, non-profit agencies purchase to provide specialized transportation services, the Wisconsin DOT noted, via active contracts managed by the agency with several vendors for minivans, minibuses, and medium to large buses.
This year, the Wisconsin DOT said 45 vehicles were purchased through this program, with 40 of them earmarked to replace existing vehicles reaching the end of their service life while the remaining five will allow for an expansion of services.
“Transit funding for seniors and the disabled provides more than transportation,” noted Governor Tony Evers (D) in a statement. “It provides a quality of life, allowing them to stay connected to their communities.”
The governor’s office added that the state’s fiscal year 2020 budget also includes a 10.4 percent increase in state funding for the specialized transportation program; money that will be distributed early next year.
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