Council approves 2025 shared-ride taxi operations and agreements; members press for ridership data

The Common Council approved the city’s 2025 shared-ride taxi operation and associated lease and service agreements, enabling the city to pursue grant funding and vehicle replacements for the program.

Doug Newman, who presented the program, said the approval will let staff move forward with grant applications and that the memo recommends replacing several vehicles. He said the city uses state and federal grant programs to replace vehicles and that the city typically pays 20 percent of vehicle costs; those replacement proceeds are funded by sale of vehicles the city removes from service.

Aldermen questioned falling ridership and how riders are categorized. Doug said ridership declines mirror broader national trends since the pandemic and cited competition from ride-hailing services as one factor. On categorization (adult, youth, elderly, disabled) he said the contract provider records those classifications and that the counts are not a precise science. He also said the municipal model of owning vehicles and leasing them to the contractor is common and that the local share for the program is currently estimated at about $200,000.

Councilors asked whether a joint service with the county would be possible. Doug said prior talks found differing service levels (notably lead time for booking) that made a single system challenging; staff and aldermen said the idea could be revisited ahead of the contract RFP next year.

Council moved and approved both the 2025 shared-ride taxi operation and the associated service and lease agreements by voice vote.