Committee reviews transit ridership and shared-ride taxi costs; approves policy updates

Washington County staff presented transit ridership figures and a proposed update to shared-ride taxi policies and procedures at the Public Works Committee meeting.

Staff said the county is evaluating weekend taxi service and preparing a request for proposals for the taxi contract next year. Ridership data show rising cost-per-hour and cost-per-trip metrics; staff said the cost increases are influenced by contract escalations, trips-per-hour variability and cancellations or no-shows. Staff reported they reduced morning service start time from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. to try to improve trips per hour, but the per-trip cost remains elevated and staff are analyzing trip-level data to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for grouping rides.

Separately, staff proposed clarifying transit policies and procedures to define “agency fare” (fares paid by an organization on behalf of a rider), to update hours of operation to reflect changes already in effect, and to explicitly include cross-county service to Ozaukee County per a 2021 memorandum of understanding. Staff said policy updates require county board approval.

Committee members discussed the sustainability of the current shared-ride model and noted ongoing monitoring and data analysis. The committee approved the policies and procedures change; the chair called for the ayes and the motion carried.