KENOSHA, Wis. — On Monday, the Kenosha Transit Commission passed a resolution for city and village leaders to begin working on extending bus service into the Village of Somers. The proposal marks a major step forward for riders who say the area’s growth and need has outpaced current transit options.
"We have the buses, we have the manpower, we can run the buses to Somers,” said Andrew Schmidt, a Kenosha Transit Commissioner. “People want the buses and there are jobs out there, people need to get to work."
From major retailers to a growing number of housing developments, Somers has become a destination for work and shopping. Transit riders, like Nathan Barnes, said there is a need for a route.
“It would be nice actually to get the buses right down there and just like walk around, shop, I heard about getting jobs out there,” Barnes said.
Bus driver Colvin Conley sees the need firsthand.
“There’s people who are in wheelchairs who are unable to drive out there,” Conley said. “This is the most I’ve seen in progress in the last five years.”
The proposed expansion would link Kenosha residents to businesses like Walmart, Aldi and Festival Foods—currently out of reach for many relying on public transportation.
"The city's growing cause we have Uline and we have Amazon, and the people are growing," Rollin Pizzala said. "They're coming here and we need that extra transportation."
While there’s no firm timeline yet, the resolution puts real momentum behind a conversation that’s been happening for years.
“We keep building senior apartments, we keep bringing people here to Kenosha,” Schmidt said. “We need to expand transit."
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