A new report details how Urban Planning faculty helped launch and evaluate FlexRide Milwaukee, an innovative microtransit service connecting Milwaukee residents to suburban jobs.
Originally funded by the National Science Foundation’s Civic Innovation Challenge, the pilot ran from February to September 2022 and has since been sustained and expanded through additional grants.
Professor Robert Schneider, a national leader in active transportation research, played a key role in advancing the project through UWM’s collaboration with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) and community partners. Together, they helped build partnerships, define performance metrics, and center equity in service design.
In 2023, FlexRide Milwaukee transitioned to management under MobiliSE, becoming a model for transit innovation focused on access, workforce mobility, and regional cooperation.