The Vernon County Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) received a STRAP planning grant in March 2007 from the Department of Transportation for the study of sustainable rural transportation systems. STRAP, the Supplemental Transportation Rural Assistance Project, offers $2 million per year to Wisconsin for project implementation grants in the hope that a pilot project will emerge in Wisconsin that can become the model for rural areas nationwide.
The planning stage demanded an inventory of the current transportation sources, assessment of the gaps in service, identification of areas of collaboration between counties, and a survey of the priorities and preferences of area residents. The Transportation Planning Report generated in this process outlined a number of areas for consideration in expanding the transportation options available to Vernon County residents.
The Transportation Planning Project is now completed, and the Vernon County Unit on Aging is taking the next step by hiring a dedicated staff member, the Mobility Manager, to focus on transportation coordination issues, marketing of resources, and the development of a county-wide volunteer driver program. The Vernon County TCC meets quarterly to explore pressing issues in transportation and to listen to the needs of the public. All Vernon County residents are welcome to attend. Individuals working on transportation development in surrounding counties may also bring issues and ideas to the TCC. If you would like to be informed of meeting times and dates or be placed on the agenda, please email Pat Peterson, Director of the Unit on Aging, at ppeterson@vernoncounty.org
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