We are rounding out the last few weeks of the Kenosha Transportation Academy*, with just two sessions to go before the end of October. Yesterday was the transit tour, and it was hands down everyone’s favorite class so far!
We started off with a Q&A from four local experts (pictured above):
Anthony Kennedy, who represents District 10 on the City Council and is chair of the transit commission for the City of Kenosha
Jennifer Stenacki, AICP, Deputy Chief Transportation Planner at SEWRPC
Jeff Anhock, Supervisor of Operations for Kenosha Area Transit
Lauren Scott, Mobility Manager for the City and County of Kenosha
I assigned everyone to plan an essential trip that they take without a car. This is an everyday experience for some of the participants in the class, but for many of them, it was a new exercise. One person shared that the trip from her home to work is only about 22 minutes by bus, but the infrequency of bus service would force her to get to work 45 minutes early. Another participant lives in Racine and works in Kenosha, so there is no public transit option to his workplace; he would have to bum a ride from his wife or pay $26 one way for an Uber ride.
Image: happy bus riders!
After an hour of sharing expertise and answering questions, we boarded the No. 5 bus and rode to the transit center, where Jeff and Anthony gave us a tour of the maintenance and storage facilities.
Image: Approaching the Transit Center
The transit center is a state-of-the-art building and was built in 2006 with federal funds. All cleaning, fueling, and maintenance take place under one enormous roof. It is impressive.
Left: Jeff Anhock speaks to the group. Center: Washing station. Right: Bus on lifts to be repaired.
We also learned that Kenosha Area Transit has acquired used buses from other cities; several people recognized a bus that was part of the Milwaukee system previously. They also re-purpose buses that are past their useful life for training police officers and firefighters in rescue operations.
Image: vintage bus waiting to be cleaned and repaired
Kenosha is no stranger to the issues that public transit systems are facing all over the country, especially in the Midwest. It’s difficult to hire enough drivers. Public perception of transit is not always positive. Funding shortages and state law preventing RTAs (regional transit authorities) are a constant challenge.
Image: We disembark at the end of the tour.
Still, it is heartening to see the generosity, passion, and dedication from our speakers, and experience the genuine curiosity from class members during the Q&A and throughout the tour.
Image: a streak of sunlight illuminates a bus at the end of the garage
*The Community Transportation Academy is a program of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. The Academy is a free course that teaches the basics of local transportation planning and helps bridge the gap between members of the public and local decision-makers. The Community Transportation Academy has been held in La Crosse, Stevens Point, and Beloit, with a fourth underway this fall in Kenosha. The Academy is planned and facilitated by Susan Gaeddert, Community Programs Director.
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