It happens every year: the Westport Transit District pleads for funds.
Peter Gold has 2 roles: He’s the WTD director, and an elected Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member from District 5. He writes:
Westport is in danger of losing the Wheels2U shuttle yet again.
In what has become an annual rite of spring, the Board of Finance voted at its March meeting to eliminate all funding for Wheels2U, the Westport Transit District’s door-to-train station on-demand commuter shuttle.
This will effectively shut down the service as of June 30, 2023. (The door to door service for the elderly and persons with disabilities will not be affected.)
Wheels2U.
We need the public’s help to keep the shuttle alive.
The Transit Committee and RTM Finance Committee meet on April 17 and April 26 respectively. They will make recommendations to the full RTM regarding the budget for Wheels2U.
The full RTM meets May 1 to vote on restoring funding to keep the shuttle running for another year.
Please send an email to the RTM (RTM-DL@Westportct.gov) between now and the end of April urging them to restore the budget, and keep the shuttle alive. All emails sent to this address will also go to members of the RTM Transit and Finance Committees.
Wheels2U provided over 21,100 rides to and from Westport’s 2 train stations to more than 1,170 people since the start of the current fiscal year on July 1, 2022. There were over 2,780 rides to and from Westport’s stations in March alone.
Wheels2U supports Westport residents and businesses. It aids economic development by providing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way for Westport commuters, reverse commuters and others to link their homes, their employers and downtown to the train stations. By sharing your stories of how useful the service has been to you, we can help to save the shuttle service.
It takes 70% of the RTM members present and voting at a meeting to override the Board of Finance and restore the funding for Wheels2U. Every bit of support matters.
Information about Wheels2U, its cost, the benefits it currently provides to riders and the town as a whole, and what it could become if it’s allowed to continue and grow can be found by clicking this link.