Kenosha---Final federal and state approvals have been received in order to finance a big expansion of the city's municipal bus service.
An $8 million dollar federal grant that was originally earmarked for streetcar expansion will instead be used to run new bus routes out to Kenosha Beef in the Town of Paris, the Amazon Fulfillment Center along I-94 and to Pleasant Prairie’s LakeView Corp. Park. The plan calls for starting the new service at the beginning of the year, according to Transit Director Ron Iwen, who's in the process of hiring additional drivers.
In addition to the route expansions, operating hours will be extended, from 7 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday. Those longer hours will mean that second and third shifters will be able to get to work on the bus.
In conjunction with the start-up of the new service, the city’s Transit Commission Monday approved a series of fare increases. The new fares will put Kenosha in line with other cities of comparable size, according to Iwen.
The city council will review the new fares and service increases as part of the annual budget process this month.
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