Catch a Ride service thriving

WAUPACA – It was reported at the June 16 City Council meeting that the city’s new Catch a Ride service operated by Feonix Mobility Rising has given over 8500 rides in the first five months of operation.
Valerie Lefler, the executive director of Feonix Mobility Rising, was on hand at the recent council meeting to discuss the impact the new Catch a Ride service has had throughout the county.
Lefler said initially it was a slow start, with only a handful of days’ notice to get up and running, there were only 1,200 rides given in January and as of May it went up to 2,000 for the month.
The largest group using the taxi service throughout the county are employees to get to and from work, with that group accounting for 70% of the rides.
“A lot of folks use this to get to and from work,” Lefler said. “Whether that be a nurse who has epilepsy that works at Thedacare, whether that be somebody who is a waitress at one of the restaurants downtown, be that a woman with a disability that is working a job at Fleet.”

Leffler said many of the riders use this as an economic development engine to support their households but also to support the county.
The service provides rides throughout the county as well as three miles beyond county borders, including trips to New London, Weyauwega and Clintonville.
Lefler said that rides have a 94% on-time rate within its 30-minute shared ride window.
It was also noted that 97.2% of riders rate the service as extremely safe.
In five months, Lefler said, the service has travelled over 100,000 miles across the county.
The biggest difficulty during the transition was the transfer of vehicles from the previous providers, Waupaca Taxi Service, Lefler said.
Lefler cited that several of the vehicles were not safe to drive, some having plywood floorboards and multiple mechanical issues.
The fleet for the Catch a Ride service has been updated, with an electric vehicle as well as standard minivans, wheelchair accessible vans and three sport utility vehicles (SUV).
Lefler said they have made an agreement with the King’s Veteran’s Home and they will be getting 180 rides a month, as the service continues to grow.
There are many ways to secure a ride, by calling 920-214-8214, by downloading the Catch a Ride app on a smartphone or booking online at www.catch-a-ride.tripgo.com.
More information can be found at www.waupacacountycatcharide.com.