Starting Oct. 15, RYDE Racine passengers will see a difference in payment method and costs.
Common Council on Tuesday approved capping fares, replacing the 10-ride pass with a weekly pass, and reducing the monthly pass cost by $1.
According to city documents, the proposed changes are designed to simplify fares and give passengers more flexibility with ways to pay through the new regional digital fare payment system, WisGo.
WisGo uses "account-based fare capping," which is the maximum a passenger would pay for a specified period, instead of traditional passes, according to city documents. The fare-capping collection method will replace the pass system.
The daily fare cap will be $4, the same as a current day pass.
The 10-ride pass will be replaced with a weekly pass with a fare cap of $16, meaning passengers can take unlimited rides Monday through Sunday for $16.
Also at the meeting, the council approved proposing the establishment of a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area in the Lincoln- King neighborhood, which would allow the city to use designated funds for neighborhood revitalization.
After the formal proposal, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will consider the initiative for approval, according to city documents.
Designating the neighborhood as a NRSA would allow for City Development to allocate Community Development Block Grant funds for housing and economic development efforts, such as new and improved housing units and job creation, according to city documents.
The council also approved, by a 7-6 vote, changes to a municipal ordinance concerning dangerous animals.
Some of the changes include allowing an animal declared dangerous to stay in a home with immediate or familiar family members, including juveniles, as long as the animal has not bitten a member of this family; and lengthening the timeline by which an owner can contest a dangerous animal declaration from five business days after receiving the order to 10 business days.
In other business, the council:
- Approved up to $1,711,606 in HOME funds for the rehabilitation of multiple residential rental units at 2000 Washington Ave., aimed at creating affordable housing.
- Approved a zoning ordinance rezoning the property at 800 Goold St. to allow for both offices and clinic use, as requested by Lakeview Health LLC, to allow for clinics and laboratories at the property.
- Authorized the city to join with its partner agencies, Racine County and Racine Unified School District, in executing a one-year renewal amendment with Ascension Wisconsin Employer Solutions for the Racine Employee Health and Wellness Center.
- Granted permission to the chief of police to apply for, and if awarded, accept the 2024 Local Community Grant of $3,500.
- Granted permission to the chief information officer to apply for the 2024 National Telecommunications and Information Administration Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, for an amount between $5 million and $12 million.
- Issued a Community Development Block Grant home repair loan and a forgivable grant to the owners of 1830 N. Wisconsin Ave. and the owners of 3200 21st St.
- Approved up to $104,809 of 2024 CDBG funds to go to public facilities, special assessments and privately-owned utilities.
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