MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — A bus line between Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties will shut down in less than a month. For a woman with visual impairments, it could mean the end to her independence.
Carrie Krassman uses the MCTS 57 Jobline Route to get to her job as a substitute teacher in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. The Menomonee Falls woman cannot legally drive because of her disability. But she also doesn't qualify for government assistance.
"I'm a working individual. I want to be a productive member of society and work," Krassman said.
MCTS spokesperson Matt Sliker says the Jobline routes were created to get people to work between Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. That decision came after a federal lawsuit settlement involving the American Civil Liberties Union. However, there was a limited amount of funding from the start. That funding ended in 2018. The line was given an extension last year, but now that has run out.
"The route is only serving 80 riders a day," Sliker said. "When you have routes that effect a few thousand per day and routes that effect a few dozen that is unfortunately when the really hard decisions have to come into play."
But Krassman said that's dozens of people who now cannot get to their jobs.
"There are people like me out there who don't drive who use these transportation services," Krassman said.
The Jobline route stops on August 24th. MCTS said people with disabilities can try to apply for Para-Transit service in order to get rides. That program is designed for individuals with disabilities.
