OSHKOSH, Wis. — Anywhere from 10 to 17 times a day, the lime green vehicles of Oshkosh City Cab make the trip between Oshkosh and Neenah.
It’s part of a new micro-transit system connecting both public transit systems. Jodi Hudson is a dispatcher and one of the drivers with the cab company.
“Knowing that they got to and from where they needed to and they’re very satisfied with their ride, it feels good to me knowing we are able to provide that for them,” she said.
The new GO Connect service replaces a bus route between the cities that was steadily losing ridership. Many people use the service to get to work or school.
“I think it’s grown a little more than we expected, but it’s a positive thing,” Hudson said.
Steve Tomasik, transit operations manager with GO Transit, said it opted for the GO Connect service as rider numbers declined on the now defunct Route 10.
That route connected Oshkosh and Neenah riders with other parts of the Fox Cities.
“We had several empty buses going back and forth. It was on a fixed-route schedule, so whether people were on that bus or not, that bus was running,” he said. “More often than not, it might have one person, maybe nobody, going to and from. There were a lot of wasted miles. The carbon footprint, if you look at it from a sustainability perspective, that’s one of the main reasons it was stopped. It was just not sustainable. This is a much more efficient way.”
Right now, it’s a pilot program, but if it goes well, it could run indefinitely.
“The studies that we’ve done show about 44% of the rides are for work, getting people to and from work. A lot of people are very dependent on this service,” Tomasik said. “It’s not a huge number, but it’s an important number.”
Each one-way trip is $5 and requires a call a day ahead of pickup at the Oshkosh or Neenah transit centers. The service runs Monday through Saturday.
Hudson said her riders have been appreciative of the replacement service.
“I like the fact it makes it easier for people to get back and forth,” she said. “And the customers I take, we always have great conversations.”