TAKE A RIDE. Dunn County will launch Rural Doorstep this June, servicing the wider county's rural communities. Rides – which must be requested at least one day in advance – will be free for at least the month of June thanks to ADRC funding. (Submitted photo)

A new monthly bus service will launch in Dunn County on June 2 in an effort to better connect rural residents to Menomonie. The pilot program, Rural Doorstep, is being brought to life thanks to Dunn County Transit and the Dunn County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC).

Rural Doorstep is the result of a collaborative brainstorm between the two organizations, based on feedback from County Board supervisors seeking more rural transit services, a recent media release stated.

Using a microbus, the program will operate on a rotating schedule, offering once-a-month Tuesday pick-up service in each of the county’s four zones, defined by Highway 29 east and west, and Highway 25 north and south.

• Zone 1 (Tainter to Sand Creek): pick-up during first week of the month
• Zone 2 (Elk Mound to Red Cedar): pick-up during second week of the month
• Zone 3 (Irvington to Eau Galle): pick-up during third week of the month
• Zone 4 (Connorsville to Knapp): pick-up during fourth week of the month

"Rural Doorstop is about more than transportation – it's about connection, independence, and access to essential services."

AUSTIN WITT

DUNN COUNTY TRANSIT COMMISSION MANAGER

Riders will be picked up at their residence between 10-11am with return trips departing Menomonie between 1-2pm.

Fare will eventually be $15 per pick-up, though rides will initially be free for at least the month of June. The ADRC will utilize funding previously dedicated to its volunteer driver program – which did not attract enough drivers to be viable, the media release noted – to cover the cost of fees during June, and until the funds run out.

“Rural Doorstop is about more than transportation – it’s about connection, independence, and access to essential services,” Dunn County Transit Commission Manager Austin Witt said.

Witt said there is not enough ridership to justify sending large buses into the county on a regular basis, though a similar doorstop service – Demand Response Service – currently operates within the Menomonie area. However, it doesn’t serve the county’s additional rural areas that Rural Doorstop will.

Riders must call at least 24 hours in advance to schedule their ride with Rural Doorstop. To reserve a seat, call Dunn County Transit at (715) 235-7433.

Learn more about Dunn County Transit at www.co.dunn.wis.us/transit.