The City of Milwaukee is hoping that a new rideshare program that debuted earlier this month will give job seekers improved access to employment opportunities in the suburbs. | Unsplash/Rolando Garrido
The City of Milwaukee is hoping that a new rideshare program that debuted earlier this month will give job seekers improved access to employment opportunities in the suburbs. | Unsplash/Rolando Garrido
The City of Milwaukee is hoping that a new rideshare program that debuted earlier this month will give job seekers improved access to employment opportunities in the suburbs.
According to its website, FlexRide Milwaukee provides riders with access to the Menomonee Falls/Butler area, and a CBS58 report noted that depending on where riders have to go, the ride will be free or cost $1.50.
"There's people that take the bus to the end of the line or to a stop near their employer, and they have to walk a mile to get there," Eric Lynde, chief special projects planner with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, told CBS58. “It’s an app similar to an Uber or Lyft. All the flex ride vehicles are labeled on the side with the FlexRide Milwaukee logo.”
According to the CBS58 report, the program is the brainchild of UW Milwaukee professor Lingqian Ivy Hu, who applied for a $1 million grant through the National Science Foundation to fund the program. The report noted that the grant provides support for five vehicles to operate 16 hours a day.
Riders have to be approved to use the app, according to the report, and drivers also are screened. According to the FlexRide website, riders must apply and once approved, they will receive an access code. According to the website, approved participants can create an account and download the app to a mobile device. The website noted that riders can book transportation by entering their pickup and drop-off locations and selecting a ride option, and then checking the app for a location to meet the vehicle.
According to the FlexRide website, rides can be requested from five MCTS shuttle sites, including Woodman’s/Sam’s Club and Lover’s Lane/Silver Springs, which are free. The website noted that rides from Sherman Phoenix, Midtown Center and Silver Spring Neighborhood Center currently are $1.50. Hours of operation are 5 a.m. to 9 .m. weekdays, according to the website, and riders without a smartphone can call 414-667-7433 to sign up and book rides.
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