FRANKLIN, Wis. — FlexRide Milwaukee, which connects people who live in Milwaukee to jobs by offering on-demand rides to and from work, is expanding its service to Franklin.
"We've got the jobs. We just need the people," said Franklin Mayor Steve Olson.
The expansion of the popular ride service could help.
"We need this program to be successful because we've got 1,100 more jobs coming online over the next 18 months down in our corporate park, on top of probably 2,000 jobs available here in this business park," said Olson.
Thanks to a $4.2 million grant from the State of Wisconsin and $1.3 million in American Rescue Plan funding from Milwaukee County, FlexRide Milwaukee will help bring people from the city's south side to the suburban business park for work.
"It's all about equity and economic development," said Dave Steele, Executive Director of Mobilise, which oversees FlexRide Milwaukee.
He explains FlexRide Milwaukee as a program that works similarly to a rideshare app.
"It's a ride that you can call on your phone. It will come pick you up near your house," he said.
Steele adds that expanding specifically to Franklin opens up tremendous opportunities.
"It's the largest concentration of blue-collar, warehousing and manufacturing jobs in all of Milwaukee County and you know, it's a 30 to 40-minute drive from the heart of Milwaukee," he said.
The program is expected to break a transportation barrier.
"It's really about access. About 20 percent of households in the City of Milwaukee lack access to even a single car, let alone more than one car. And the majority of the jobs in our region exist outside of the scope of bus routes," said Steele.
The program already serves people on Milwaukee's north side by offering rides out to Menomonee Falls. The program has been breaking ridership records.
Just last week, 785 complete rides were given and more than 17,000 rides have been given since the program launched in 2022.
"It now opens a whole new group of potential employees to the businesses here in the city that need employees. Good quality employees," said Olson.
FlexRide Milwaukee's service to Franklin is expected to start on April 17.
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