Wellington to add third Freebie vehicle after ridership surge in senior program
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Summary
Council reviewed a third‑vehicle amendment to the Freebie senior rideshare program. The added vehicle (budgeted at ~$105,228 annually) aims to reduce wait times that have grown with rising ridership; staff said the program quadrupled rides compared with the prior STAR service and has a 4.96/5 satisfaction rating.
Staff and the Freebie representative briefed council on a third‑vehicle amendment to the village's on‑demand senior transportation program, Freebie. Freebie replaced the STAR program in May 2024 and moved seniors from an eight‑trip, advance‑booking model to a more flexible on‑demand service.
The amendment would add a third vehicle at an approximate annual cost of $105,228 (about $8,769 per month), an item included in the current fiscal budget. Freebie staff said the program has increased monthly completed rides from around 400–500 to more than 1,000, producing roughly 14,000 completed rides and about 15,000 passenger encounters over a 15‑month period, with reported satisfaction of 4.96 out of 5.
Freebie and staff said average wait times fell back when service began but have trended upward to over 30 minutes in recent months because of increased demand; the third vehicle is expected to reduce wait times and improve capacity.
Council praised the program for increasing senior participation in village activities and supporting independence. Staff said the item is budgeted and operational timelines target a December to early‑January in‑service date for the added vehicle.
Next steps: Council will consider the third‑vehicle contract amendment on the upcoming consent agenda; staff will bring final contract language and operational startup timing.