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Mobility management in Wisconsin

Background

In Wisconsin, mobility management began when former Governor Jim Doyle charged heads of state agencies to work toward eliminating administrative barriers that prohibit transportation coordination by forming the Interagency Council on Transportation Coordination (ICTC) in October, 2005. Part of its mission was to develop a state model of coordination.

Through the 2006 Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation planning process, mobility management was identified as one of the eleven priorities in most areas of the state.

In April 2007, the ICTC sponsored a conference with statewide stakeholder attendance. The conference was intended to raise awareness of the ICTC and its mission, and was aimed at improving access to, and coordination of, transportation for disadvantaged people in Wisconsin.

In June 2007, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) sponsored two sessions of the NTI course, “Coordinated Mobility,” to provide stakeholders with the basic concept of mobility management and its application to transportation operations at the community level.

Mobility management projects

WisDOT developed its New Freedom grant program with initial application submissions due in the fall, 2007 for project implementation in calendar year 2008. As a result of this solicitation, 16 mobility management projects were awarded funding at the capital level of 80%. Through an agreement with WisDOT, the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation provided an additional $425,000 to rural areas of the state for mobility management projects implemented in 2008.

In 2008, 16 local and 3 regional mobility management projects were formally identified in New Freedom grant proposals. Two of the regional projects covered 18 and 20 counties respectively. Only 6 of 72 counties were not yet involved in performing mobility management activities to some degree.

In 2009, 9 new mobility management projects were awarded funding and added 2 more regional projects to the mix. 69 of 72 counties were actively engaged in practicing mobility management.

In most cases, mobility management projects were identified and defined through the locally developed human services transportation coordination planning process in 2006, and the subsequent planning process in 2008. The direction mobility management projects take is purely a local decision and is not limited or mandated by WisDOT other than to ensure project eligibility according to the applicable funding source.

Wisconsin’s mobility managers are employed by a variety of agencies including Aging and Disability Resource Centers, local governing bodies, employment and community action programs, transit systems, human service and social service agencies, independent living centers, and economic opportunity councils.

2008 and 2009 projects and programs in place

In 2008, mobility management projects included 10 vehicle loan programs (funded by WETAP), 7 projects for service, 5 voucher programs, 4 vehicle repair programs (funded by WETAP), 3 car pool programs, 3 rideshare programs, 3 shuttle programs, 3 travel training programs, 3 volunteer driver programs, and 3 travel orientation programs.

In 2009, most of the projects from 2008 were awarded continuations of funding. Additionally, new programs include 4 one-stop call centers, 4 car loan programs, 1 voucher program, 1 travel training and 3 projects providing new public transportation service.

Contact: Judy Foss, judy.foss@dot.wi.gov, (608) 266-8968

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Questions about the content of this page:
Judy Foss, judy.foss@dot.wi.gov
Last modified: March 19, 2012