Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation issued more than $6 million in funds to enhance and support transportation resources for seniors and individuals with disabilities, according to a news release Monday.
Sixty agencies will receive funds, including Iron County and the Highline Corporation.
Iron County will receive $31,200 toward the purchase of a minivan, while Highline will receive $53,600 to replace one of its buses.
Both vehicles will be used for similar purposes to help county residents.
“(The van) will be used to transport elderly and disabled (residents) to the grocery store, or if they have doctors’ visits,” said Becky Rein, a program manager with the county’s Human Services Department.
While the county also has a bus to transport residents, Rein said the vans allow the county to make trips where there isn’t enough demand to fill the bus.
The vehicles are just two of the latest purchased through the state and federal program that has operated since the mid-1970s, with Iron County also receiving a vehicle in 2018’s grant cycle, according to Rein.
The program is responsible for Highline being able to purchase the larger buses in its fleet.
“It’s basically through that grant that we’re able to (provide transportation to county residents),” said Highline CEO Donna Reinerio. “It’s a really great program because they pay 80 percent and we pay a 20 percent co-pay. It definitely makes it affordable to offer transportation to people.”
Along with Iron County and Highline, at least two other entities that include Iron County in their service areas received funds.
North Country Independent Living Inc., which serves eight counties in northern Wisconsin, including Iron County, received $27,206 for “mobility manager services” and another $178,288 for its volunteer driver and voucher program.
The Sawyer County/Lac Courte Oreilles Transit Commission — which serves Barron, Washburn, Sawyer, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron and Price counties, according to the state’s news release — received $161,568 for mobility manager services.
A complete list of grant recipients can be found at the WisDOT website.
