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Oshkosh staff add bus stop near Winnebago County Park after petition; expanding fixed-route hours remains costly, officials say
Summary
Following a petition seeking evening and weekend bus service, staff added a stop near Winnebago County Park and told the committee that fully extending fixed-route service would be expensive (staff estimated $400,000–$2 million); staff recommended alternatives such as microtransit and Access to Jobs and promised follow-up data at the next meeting.
A petition asking the City of Oshkosh to expand fixed-route bus service into evenings and weekends prompted a staff transit update on June 9; staff reported a limited-location adjustment — a new stop near the Winnebago County Park crosswalk on Snell Road — and outlined why fully expanding fixed-route hours is expensive and operationally challenging.
City staff noted the most recent Transit Development Plan (completed in 2024) examined near- and long-term recommendations. "The recommendations really at that time were ... if we were going to consider expanding service at some point in the future, it would be more towards a microtransit option," the staff presentation said. For full fixed-route expansion staff cited a cost range of "anywhere from $400,000 to about $2 million depending on if you added one route and how many buses you added." Staff described alternatives already in use, including the "red zone" on-demand service and the Access to Jobs program.
Staff said the petitioner wanted closer coverage to the Wisconsin Resource Center; staff worked with him and added a stop near the park crosswalk that also provides access to nearby county buildings. The petitioner collected 126 signatures, staff said, but after staff added the stop they had not heard further contact from him. Committee members discussed whether raising the income limit for subsidy programs (currently cited as 275% of the federal poverty level) might help more riders qualify; staff said they will supply data on how many potential riders are excluded by the current eligibility threshold at the next meeting.
Why it matters: staff emphasized the unit cost and staffing requirements of fixed-route service — drivers, supervision and maintenance staff — and said fixed-route transit is most cost-effective when it can carry large numbers of riders. For small numbers of riders in off-peak hours, microtransit or targeted paratransit options may be more feasible. Staff committed to providing ridership and income-eligibility data at the next committee meeting so members can evaluate alternatives further.
What’s next: staff will return with requested data on income eligibility and ridership, and the committee will consider that information in future transit discussions.
