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Waukesha Metro to get pro bono review of management structure after 44 years of private management
Summary
Staff announced that SURPAC will conduct a free study of Waukesha Metro’s private-management structure to assess whether it remains the most effective and cost-efficient model; staff noted vendor consolidation (Transdev’s acquisition of First Transit) has reduced bidder options.
Waukesha Metro will undergo a pro bono review of its management structure, staff told the Transit Commission Thursday, as part of efforts to identify potential cost savings and to assess whether the system should remain under private management.
Staff announced that SURPAC has agreed to conduct a study at no cost to the city beyond staff time. The study will examine whether the private contractor model remains the most efficient or whether alternatives — including bringing operations in-house, creating a separate utility, or a different contractual arrangement with a private operator — might be preferable. Staff noted Waukesha Metro has been in its current private-management structure for 44 years and that other systems in Wisconsin have moved to municipal operation.
Commissioners asked what replacing the private contractor would look like; staff said options include adding Waukesha City employees to manage operations, forming a separate utility, or pursuing another private turnkey model, each with trade-offs in cost and local control. Staff also pointed to vendor consolidation in the marketplace — Transdev’s purchase of First Transit — as a factor that has reduced the number of potential bidders for a management contract.
The commission did not take action on the management structure at Thursday’s meeting; staff said the SURPAC study could verify current practice or recommend alternatives.
