existing public transit systems

# 94309 v2
210-1016
AB/SD/sd/mlh
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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.
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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
ROUTE NO. 4
ROUTE NO. 35
ROUTE NO. 5
ROUTE NO. 36
!
NORTH AND SOUTH TRANSFER POINTS
METRA COMMUTER RAIL STATION
GRAPHIC SCALE
.5
0
1 MIL E
ONE QUARTER-MILE WALK ACCESS AREA
0
2000
4000
6000
8000 FEET
2a
Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.
AAB/SD/rlm
2/18/09
Doc#118870
Inset for Map 2-1
50TH
ST.
PL.
PL.
51ST.
51ST.
ST.
52ND
RR.
T.
53RD S
ST.
3RD
5TH
6TH
7TH
.
4TH AVE
AN
ST.
54TH
E.
2ND AV
SHERID
DOWNTOWN
TRANSIT
CENTERa
ST.
54TH
ST.
55TH
8TH
AVE.
ST.
56TH
PACIFIC
AVE.
AVE.
ST.
57TH
ST.
AVE
.
AVE.
RD.
59TH
4TH
6TH
ST.
59TH
AVE.
AVE.
AVE.
58TH
LAKE
PL.
ST.
60TH
ST.
AVE.
AVE.
9TH
5TH
3RD
10TH
11TH
AVE.
13TH
ST.
12TH
62ND
ST.
61ST
ST.
61ST
UNION
AVE.
AVE.
AVE.
MICHIGAN
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)
ROUTE NO. 4
ROUTE NO. 36 (SEE LARGE MAP)
ROUTE NO. 5
ONE QUARTER-MILE WALK ACCESS AREA
!
NORTH AND SOUTH TRANSFER POINTS (SEE LARGE MAP)
METRA COMMUTER RAIL STATION
ROUTE NO. 6
GRAPHIC SCALE
0
500
1000 FEET
a
ALL 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.
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Table 2-1
KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT OPERATING AND SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS BY ROUTE: 2009
Service Availability
Bus Route
Round Trip
Route
Length
(miles)
1
2
3
4
5
6
30
31
35
36
31.3
26.0
28.4
28.6
28.4
15.4
11.4
11.8
14.1
15.4
Subtotal
210.8
Peak-Hour
Tripper Routes
--
Weekdays
Saturdays
Start Time
First Trip
(a.m.)
Start Time
Last Trip
(p.m.)
7:05
a
7:05
a
7:05
a
7:05
a
7:05
a
7:05
a
5:40
6:00
4:44
4:05
5:55
5:55
5:55
5:55
5:55
5:55
8:25
8:45
---
5:35
a
5:35
a
5:35
a
5:35
a
5:35
a
5:35
a
5:40
4:45
---
--
--
--
--
6:32
3:43
--
--
Start Time
First Trip
(a.m.)
Start Time
Last Trip
(p.m.)
5:55
5:55
5:55
5:55
5:55
5:55
6:25
6:45
6:45
6:45
a
a
Service Frequency (Minutes)
Bus Route
1
2
3
4
5
6
30
31
35
36
Subtotal
Peak-Hour
Tripper Routes
System Total
Weekdays
Buses Required
Saturdays
Weekdays
Saturdays
A.M. Peak
Off-Peak
P.M. Peak
All Day
A.M. Peak
Off-Peak
P.M. Peak
All Day
30
30
60
60
30
30
60
60
4
4
2
2
4
4
2
2
30
30
30
30
80
40
2 trips
2 trips
60
60
60
60
80
80
---
30
30
30
30
80
40
2 trips
3 trips
60
60
60
60
80
80
---
4
4
4
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
---
4
4
4
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
---
--
--
--
--
26
13
26
13
24 trips
--
27 trips
--
12
--
14
b
--
--
--
--
--
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.
3a
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Table 2-2
FARES FOR FIXED-ROUTE BUS SERVICE PROVIDED BY KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2009
Fare Category
Regular Route Service
Cash ............................................
Tokens b ......................................
Transfers .....................................
Saturday Supertransfer c .............
Monthly Passes ...........................
School Bus Passes e ...................
Adults
(age 18 through 64)
Students
(age 5 through 17)
Elderly
(age 65 and over)
and Disabled
(age 5 and over)
$1.25 per trip
$1.25 per trip
Free
$2.00
$34.00
--
$0.70 per trip
-Free
-$20.00
$1.20 per school day
$0.60 per tripa
-Free
-$17.00d
--
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
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Figure 2 - 1
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
DOLLARS
0.80
ACTUAL DOLLARS
0.70
0.60
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
YEAR
1999 2001 2003 2005
2007 2009
ELDERLY AND DISABLED
1.10
1.00
0.90
0.80
DOLLARS
0.70
0.60
ACTUAL DOLLARS
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
CONSTANT DOLLARS
0.10
0.00
1971 1973 1975
1977 1979 1981 1983
1985 1987 1989 1991 1993
YEAR
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
2005 2007 2009
STUDENT CASH FARE
1.10
1.00
0.90
0.80
0.70
DOLLARS
Doc#119030
ACTUAL DOLLARS
0.60
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
YEAR
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
2005 2007 2009
a
STUDENT FARES WERE INTRODUCED IN 1980.
Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.
3c
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-AVan” 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
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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
Provided by the Care-A-Van Program a
Characteristics
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
Service provided on a contract basis by the Kenosha Achievement Center, Inc.
Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.
4a
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Table 2-4
KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT VEHICLE FLEET: 2009
Special Equipment
Manufacturer
Number of
Vehicles
Seats per
Vehicle
Year of
Manufacture
Air
Conditioning
Wheelchair
Lift/Ramp
Kneeling
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
Total Buses
9
32
2005
Yes
Ramp
Yes
56
--
--
--
--
--
5
45
1951
No
Lift
No
Streetcars
St. Louis Car Company
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
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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
³
KENOSHA MUNICIPAL BUILDING
STREETCAR TRACKS
0
0.5
1
2
Miles
Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.
5a
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Doc# 123778
Figure 2-2
HISTORIC RIDERSHIP AND SERVICE LEVELS
ON KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 1971-2008
2,000
SERVICE CHARACTERISTIC (THOUSANDS)
1,800
1,600
ANNUAL REVENUE PASSENGERS
1,400
1,200
1,000
.
800
REVENUE VEHICLE MILES
600
400
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
Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.
5b
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 schoolage population; declining gasoline prices; modest increases in vehicle availability; and stable levels of zeroautomobile 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
6
6a
16.2
1.4
18.7
Based upon the estimated resident population of the City of Kenosha.
Service Effectiveness
Revenue Passengers per Capita
Revenue Passengers per Vehicle-Mile
Revenue Passengers per Vehicle-Hour
1,502,100
1,429,600
55,100
17,400
Revenue Passengers
Regular and Peak-Hour Tripper Bus Routes
Streetcar Service
Paratransit Service
Total
1,060,900
80,400
Service Provided
Revenue Vehicle-Miles
Revenue Vehicle-Hours
92,800
2004
15.7
1.4
19.9
1,468,600
1,402,200
51,600
14,800
1,071,200
73,900
93,800
2005
15.8
1.4
20.2
1,488,700
1,424,000
49,300
15,400
1,066,700
73,600
94,500
2006
Year
16.1
1.4
20.8
1,539,400
1,460,600
61,800
17,000
1,073,300
73,900
95,500
2007
16.5
1.5
21.6
1,579,300
1,498,800
62,200
18,300
1,040,100
73,200
95,900
2008
16.0
1.4
20.2
1,515,600
1,443,000
56,000
16,600
1,062,400
75,000
94,500
Five-Year
Average
Source: Wisconsin Department of Administration, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, City of Kenosha Department of Transportation, and SEWRPC.
a
Characteristic
Table 2-5
ANNUAL RIDERSHIP AND SERVICE LEVELS ON KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2004-2008
Primary Service Area Populationa
SD/rlm/sd
1/29/2009
Doc# 94517
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
1
2
3
4
5
6
30
31
35
36
Streetcar
Total
Number
610
780
1,000
710
1,070
390
140
90
90
10
110
5,000
Percent
of Total
12.2
15.6
20.0
14.2
21.4
7.8
2.8
1.8
1.8
0.2
2.2
100.0
a
This 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.
7
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7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
DOLLARS S IN MILLIONS
5.0
OPERATING REVENUES
OPERATING ASSISTANCE
OPERATING EXPENSES
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
.5
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
.0
YEAR
=
`lkpq^kq=NVTN=alii^op=
6.0
5.5
5.0
DOLLARS S IN MILLIONS
OPERATING REVENUES
4.5
4.0
OPERATING ASSISTANCE
OPERATING EXPENSES
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
.5
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
.0
YEAR
=
=
=pçìêÅÉW==`áíó=çÑ=hÉåçëÜ~=aÉé~êíãÉåí=çÑ=qê~åëéçêí~íáçå=~åÇ=pbtom`K
T~=
SD/OD/sd/edl
2/18/09
# 94522
Table 2-7
ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES, REVENUES, AND DEFICITS FOR
KENOSHA AREA TRANSIT: 2003-2007
Year
Characteristic
Revenue Passengers
Regular and Peak-Hour
Tripper Bus Routes ................................................
Streetcar Service ....................................................
Paratransit Service ...................................................
Total
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Five-Year
Average
1,437,300
60,300
15,000
1,429,600
55,100
17,400
1,402,200
51,600
14,800
1,423,900
49,300
15,400
1,460,600
61,800
17,000
1,430,800
55,600
15,900
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................................................
Operating Revenues ..............................................
$5,669,600
$5,596,200
$6,161,600
$6,014,800
$6,561,600
$6,000,800
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 ..................................................
Source of Public Assistance Funds
Federal .....................................................................
State .........................................................................
City ...........................................................................
Total
Per Trip Data
Operating Cost .........................................................
Revenue ...................................................................
Total Public Assistance ............................................
Local Public Assistance ...........................................
16.3
16.9
16.9
17.2
16.6
16.8
$1,852,600
1,636,600
1,253,800
$1,718,400
1,725,900
1,204,700
$1,747,400
1,665,100
1,708,700
$1,989,300
1,662,000
1,326,500
$2,104,900
1,690,100
1,674,700
$1,882,500
1,675,900
1,433,700
$4,743,000
$4,649,000
$5,121,200
$4,977,800
$5,469,700
$4,992,100
$3.75
0.61
3.14
0.83
$3.73
0.63
3.10
0.80
$4.20
0.71
3.49
1.16
$4.04
0.70
3.34
0.89
$4.26
0.71
3.55
1.09
$3.99
0.67
3.32
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
Characteristic
Capital Expenditures by Year
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Five-Year
Average
Capital Project Type
Bus Fleet Expansion, Replacement,
or Rehabilitation .....................................................
$2,500,000
$3,550,000
$1,680,000
--
8,285,500
4,354,000
--
--
$1,785,000
$1,903,000
Facility Renovation or Replacement ........................
--
Fixed Guideway Fleet Expansion, Replacement, or
Rehabilitation .......................................................
--
--
--
--
--
Fixed Guideway Facility Construction ......................
--
--
--
--
--
--
Other ........................................................................
--
--
81,400
$1,843,500
--
385,000
$2,500,000 $11,835,500
$6,115,400
$1,843,500
$1,785,000
$4,815,900
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
$2,500,000 $11,835,500
$6,115,400
$1,843,500
$1,785,000
$4,815,900
Total
2,527,900
--
Source of Funds
Total
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
LOCAL FUNDS
$1,253,800
22%
STATE FUNDS
$1,636,600
29%
2007
OPERATING
REVENUE
$926,600
16%
FEDERAL FUNDS
$1,852,600
33%
LOCAL FUNDS
$1,674,700
25%
STATE FUNDS
$1,690,100
26%
OPERATING
REVENUE
$1,091,900
17%
FEDERAL FUNDS
$2,104,900
32%
Source: City of Kenosha Department of Transportation and SEWRPC.
7d
•
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
8
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 oneway 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-todoor 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.
9
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)
Bus Route
No. 1: Kenosha-Twin Lakes
No. 2: Paddock Lake-Antioch
No. 3: Twin Lakes Local
No. 3: Twin Lakes-Lake Geneva
Fixed-Route Total
Round Trip
Route Length
(miles)
Start Time
First Trip
(a.m.)
Start Time
Last Trip
(p.m.)
45.2
23.3
7.2
34.1
7:30
8:00
8:00
8:35
4:00
4:30
5:00
3:05
109.8
--
--
Service
Frequency
(Minutes)
120
120
60-90
4 trips daily
--
Buses
Required
1
1
1
3
Source: Kenosha County and SEWRPC.
9a
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
10
SD/sd/edl
# 142986
2/18/09
Table 2-10
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL DATA FOR WESTERN
KENOSHA COUNTY TRANSIT: 2007 AND 2008
Characteristic
Revenue Passengers
Amount of Service Provided
Revenue Vehicle-Miles
Revenue Vehicle-Hours
Costs, Revenues, and Public Assistance
Operating Expenses
Operating Revenues
Required Public Assistance
Source of Public Assistance Funds
Federal
State
County
Other (American Cancer Society)
Total
2007
(October-December)
2008
700
5,800
35,000
1,800
184,300
9,400
$110,900
1,400
109,500
$512,500
7,100
505,400
$87,600
17,500
4,400
--
$385,700
63,700
46,000
10,000
$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
Provider
Type of
Provider
Public
Wisconsin
Coach Lines,
Inc./Coach USA
Coach USA
b
Private
Days and Hours
of Operation
Type of
Service
Express
bus
Intercity
bus
Weekdays: 5:15 a.m. - 10:30
p.m.
Weekends/
Holidays: 8:45 a.m. - 10:00
p.m.
Daily:
a.m.
Fares
a
Public
Weekdays/
Intercity
c
passenger Saturdays : 6:45 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
train
Sundays/
Holidays: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Greyhound
Lines, Inc.
Private
Intercity
bus
Union Pacific
North Line
Public
North Central
Service Line
Public
Commuter Weekdays: 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
2:15 p.m. - 2:15 a.m.
rail
Saturdays: 5:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
12:15 p.m. - 2:15 a.m.
Sundays/
6:45 a.m. 8:45 a.m.
Holidays: 4:15 p.m. - 2:15 a.m.
Commuter
Weekdays: 5:20 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
rail
Daily service consisting of:
11 southbound bus trips and
10 northbound bus trips
Vehicles
Used
Long
distance
over-the-road
motor
coaches
Distance-based ranging
from $2.00 to $4.00 for
adults
Service between
the Cities of
Kenosha, Racine,
and Milwaukee
Distance-based
One stop at IH 94
and STH 50 for
airport express to
O’Hare and Midway
airports
Distance-based; fare for
one-way travel between
Milwaukee and Sturtevant
is $9.50.
No stops in the
study area; the
closest stop is in
the Village of
Sturtevant in
Racine County
Standard
intercity
single-level
passenger
train coaches
Distance-based
Two northbound
and southbound
buses stop at the
Metra passenger
terminal at 5414
13thAvenue; no
other buses stop in
the study area
Long
distance
over-the-road
motor
coaches
Zone-based; fare for oneway travel between
Kenosha and Chicago is
$7.05.
Service from the
City of Kenosha
through northern
Chicago suburbs,
to Chicago
Intercity
double-level
passenger
train coaches
Zone-based; fare for oneway travel between
Antioch and Chicago is
$7.05.
From the Village of
Antioch through
northwestern
Chicago suburbs,
to Chicago
Intercity
double-level
passenger
train coaches
Zone-based fares within
City of Kenosha range
between $4.25 and
$18.00; fares for travel
outside city are distancebased.
Service is provided Automobiles
primarily in the City
of Kenosha urban
area
3:55 a.m. - 12:30
Amtrak
Service
Area
Metra
Taxicab
d
Providers
Private
Taxicab
service
Seven days a week, 24 hours a
day
a
Fares shown are cash fares per trip.
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.
b
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 generalpurpose 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.
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2/17/09
Table 2-12
MAJOR HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS FOR
ELDERLY AND DISABLED PERSONS WITHIN KENOSHA COUNTY: 2009
Name of
Service Provider
Type of
Provider
Type of Service
Eligible
Users
Days and Hours
of Operation
Service Area
Fare Per Trip
Type of
Vehicles Used
Kenosha County
Aging and
Disability Services
Care-A-Van
Program
Publica
Advance
reservation,
door-to-door
Volunteer
Escort Program
Publicb
Advance
Ambulatory elderly or
reservation,
disabled individuals
door-through-door
Elderly or disabled
individuals who live east
of IH-94 who are unable
to use Kenosha Area
Transit buses or who live
outside the fixed-route
service area
Monday-Saturday: 6:00 a.m.- 7:30 p.m.
Kenosha County
east of I-94
$1.00 per one-way
trip to and from
nutrition sites;
$2.00 per one-way
trip for all other trips
Accessible vans
and buses
provided by
Kenosha
Achievement
Center
Seven days a week depending upon
volunteer availability
Kenosha County
and surrounding
counties
Round trip fare:
$7.00 for less than
20 miles, $15.00 for
more than 20 miles
$35.00 to
Milwaukee
Personal
automobiles
provided by
volunteer drivers
One Way:
$4.00 for less than
10 miles, $8.00 for
more than 10 miles
Amer-A-Care
Private, forprofit
Advance
General public
reservation,
door-through-door
Monday-Friday:
7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Kenosha, Racine,
and Milwaukee
Counties
Medicaid
reimbursement and
private pay based
on mileage and
starting and ending
destinations
Accessible vans
Bucko Ambulatory
Private, forprofit
Advance
reservation,
door-to-door
Monday-Friday:
5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Kenosha County
and surrounding
counties
Medicaid
reimbursement and
private pay
Non-accessible
sedans and vans
CMB Taxi
Private, forprofit
Advance
General public,
reservation,
ambulatory individuals
door-through-door only
24-hours a day, seven days a week
Kenosha County
and surrounding
counties
Zone-based fares
set by City of
Kenosha Taxi
regulations, and
Medicaid
reimbursement
Non-accessible
sedans
DRS Medical
Transport
Private,
nonprofit
Advance
General public
reservation,
door-through-door
Monday-Friday:
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Saturdays as needed
Sundays on call
Kenosha, western
Racine, and
Walworth
Counties
Medicaid
reimbursement and
private pay: $22
plus $2 per mile
Wheelchair
accessible vans
Erickson
Ambulance
Private
Advance
General public
reservation,
door-through-door
24 hours a day, seven days a week
Kenosha and
Racine Counties
Medicaid
reimbursement and
private pay
Non-accessible
ambulances
Fulfilling a Need
Private, forprofit
Advance
General public
reservation,
door-through-door
Monday-Friday:
Saturday:
3:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Kenosha County
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and surrounding
counties
Private pay
Non-accessible
vans and sedans
K & S Medical
Transport
Private, forprofit
Advance
General public
reservation,
door-through-door
Monday-Friday:
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Kenosha, Racine,
Milwaukee
Counties
Medicaid
reimbursement and
private pay
Wheelchair
accessible vans
Kenosha
Achievement
Center, Inc.
Private,
nonprofit
Fixed-route curbto-curb
subscription
service for
program
participants
Participants in the
services offered by the
Kenosha Achievement
Center, Inc. who are
unable to use other
transportation services
Monday-Friday:
6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Kenosha County
$40 weekly
and northern Lake contribution
County, Illinois
Wheelchair
accessible vans,
and nonaccessible vans
and buses
LJH Ambulance
Private, forprofit
Advance
reservation, and
on demand, doorto-door for
medical activities
General public
Every day, 24 hours a day
Kenosha County
and surrounding
counties
Medicaid
reimbursement and
private pay
Non-accessible
ambulance
Medix Wheelchair
service
Private, forprofit
Advance
reservation,
door-to-door
General public
Monday-Friday:
Kenosha, Racine,
Milwaukee, and
Walworth
Counties
Private pay only:
$31 for first 5 miles
($26 if paid at time
of service), then $3
per mile
Wheelchair
accessible vans
Transport
General public,
ambulatory individuals
only
6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
12a
Table 2-12 (continued)
Name of
Service Provider
Type of
Provider
Type of Service
Eligible
Users
Recovery Medical
Transport
Private, forprofit
Advance
reservation,
door-to-door
Southport
Transportation
Private, forprofit
Advance
General public,
reservation,
ambulatory individuals
door-through-door only
Days and Hours
of Operation
General public for medical Monday-Friday:
purposes
4:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Seven days a week, including holidays:
5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Service Area
Fare Per Trip
Kenosha, Racine,
and Milwaukee
Counties
Medicaid
reimbursement and
private pay: $25
one-way for less
than 5 miles, then
$1.50 per mile
Wheelchair
accessible vans
Kenosha County
Zone-based fares
set by City of
Kenosha Taxi
regulations, and
Medicaid
reimbursement
Non-accessible
vans and sedans
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.
Vehicles Used
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 Countyoperated 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-AVan 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.
*
*
*
15