WisDOT awarded $5.2 million in funding for mobility transit options

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has been awarded $5.2 million in funding to provide more mobility options for seniors and those with disabilities.

“If folks anywhere in Wisconsin need help getting to a grocery store, a job or a medical appointment, they should have good, safe options," said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. “This funding helps connect the dots by strengthening 52 community agencies across the state that offer basic mobility."

“A good transportation system serves everyone, and we are building on state investments with funds available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to allow community agencies to buy more vehicles and cover other operational expenses to broaden their reach," said WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson. “An agency in a small town that can add a couple of minivans and offer the community mobility makes a big difference."

The specialized transportation program is administered through WisDOT via the Federal Transit Administration's Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program.

The program grants are awarded to assist local public bodies and private, non-profit agencies with providing transportation services for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Such services include mobility management, operating assistance and vehicle purchases.

Under federal transportation law, the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton and Green Bay, Wis., administer the federal 5310 program for their geographic areas. They coordinate with WisDOT to ensure continuity of the application and project selection process. WisDOT continues to administer the specialized transportation program for the rural and smaller urban areas of the state.

The federal and state program, initiated in the mid-1970s, has helped fund the purchase of more than 2,200 vehicles in Wisconsin to provide transportation services to seniors and individuals with disabilities. In addition, approved projects for 2024 include funding for 18 mobility management projects to help coordinate transportation services, increase transportation capacity and connect individuals with transportation services in their geographic service area. An additional 22 Operating Assistance grants will be funded to help organizations defray day-to-day costs of operating these programs.  Many of the grant recipients serve smaller communities in rural areas.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided WisDOT with an increase of funds for the 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program for a five-year period, beginning in 2023.