Ozaukee County officials are considering adding a new bus service. Here's what you need to know.
Ozaukee County officials are considering a new bus service running between Ozaukee and Milwaukee counties after slimming down on their commuter line last year.
Ozaukee Flex-Bus would add on-demand service between Ozaukee and Milwaukee counties, along Port Washington Road from Mequon to Port Washington, and along Cedarburg and Green Bay roads into Saukville.
The service, which would be in addition to the Ozaukee County Express Line and the Shared Ride Taxi, would run with regular stops and times, but have the flexibility to go off route if passengers request it ahead of time.
"There's a need to get a greater connection within Ozaukee County, but also to get people to come up from Milwaukee County," said Ozaukee County Transit Director Joy Neilson.
Here's what you need to know about the proposal:
What's a Flex-Bus?
The Ozaukee Flex-Bus would travel on a defined route with regular stops and times, but it could potentially go off route up to three quarters of a mile with advanced notice of 24 hours, said Neilson.
Riders who want to travel off-route to a destination, such as a business or medical facility, will be able to request via app or phone call ahead of time to be dropped off at their desired area.
Here's a map of the routes the county is considering:
The service could potentially run in both directions every hour, Monday through Saturday.
Rides could cost between $2 and $3.
When could service start?
If approved by the county, service could start in 2024, said Neilson.
What other public transportation is available in Ozaukee County?
Currently, there are two other forms of public transportation available in Ozaukee County, the Ozaukee County Express and the Shared Ride Taxi.
The Ozaukee County Express runs three buses to Milwaukee in the morning and four to Ozaukee County in the afternoon. The service was slimmed down at the end of last year after ridership dropped about 80% during the pandemic and did not recover.
The county's shared ride taxi service allows riders to call to arrange for transportation. Trips using the taxi service should be arranged in advance.
Have ideas or more questions?
Ozaukee County Transit is hosting an open house on Tuesday, March 7 at 5 p.m. to provide more information and get feedback from the public. The open house will be located at the Frank L. Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville in the Tolzman Community Room, 11345 N. Cedarburg Road in Mequon.
Those who are unable to attend the meeting can send questions or comments to transit@ozaukeecounty.gov.
Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria.
RELATED:Commuter bus routes were reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some might never return
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ozaukee County officials are considering a new Flex-Bus service
