Wellington to add third Freebee vehicle after ridership surge among seniors
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Summary
Council reviewed the Freebee on‑demand senior transportation program and staff asked to add a third vehicle (≈$105,228) to reduce wait times after ridership rose; program reported high satisfaction and increased senior participation.
Staff presented performance data for Freebee, Wellington’s on‑demand senior transportation service that replaced the prior STAR program, and recommended a third vehicle to reduce wait times and expand capacity.
Freebee launched in May 2024 and expanded access compared with the STAR program by moving to an on‑demand model. Staff said the program has nearly quadrupled rides vs. its predecessor and reported roughly 15,000 passengers and 14,000 completed rides over 15 months, with an average satisfaction rating of 4.96 out of 5. Staff recommended a third vehicle under the existing agreement at an annualized cost of approximately $105,228 (≈$8,769 per month) to reduce average wait times (15‑month average ~27 minutes; more recently over 30 minutes in eight‑month lookbacks).
Freebee staff and village presenters emphasized improved senior independence, increased participation in senior programming and a more consistent fleet and driver pool compared with ad‑hoc ride vouchers. Village leaders supported adding the vehicle to the contracted fleet, noting the additional capacity should bring wait times down and increase service reliability.
Next steps: staff will place the third‑vehicle amendment on the formal council agenda for authorization; the recommendation is budgeted for the current fiscal year and staff expects the vehicle to enter service in December or early January if approved.