Gov. Evers, WisDOT, DWD Announce Over $4 Million to Expand Access to Transportation, Help Reduce Barriers for Joining the Workforce

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), today announced over $4 million in Wisconsin Employment Transportation Assistance Program (WETAP) grants for organizations across 54 Wisconsin counties to expand access to employment-related transportation opportunities and promote Wisconsinites’ ability to enter and remain successful in the workforce. Funded by the Federal Transit Administration and state funds from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and WisDOT, WETAP is designed to help local communities address unique transportation needs to ensure transportation access is not a significant barrier to Wisconsinites seeking and retaining employment.

“Whether your family car needs repairs, you’re working the night shift when public transit options are limited, or there’s no bus route close to home and work, if there’s a bus at all, transportation can be a significant barrier for Wisconsinites in finding and maintaining gainful employment,” said Gov. Evers. “Wisconsinites are hard workers by nature, but you’ve got to have a way to get to work in order to work hard and put food on the table. So, I look forward to seeing how these grants will help close gaps in communities across our state to help fill available jobs, get folks to work, and build the 21st-century workforce and infrastructure we need to support a 21st-century economy.”

“Lack of transportation can be a significant barrier to getting and keeping jobs for many people in Wisconsin,” said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “Supporting these transportation options will help to improve economic outcomes not only for these workers, but the for the entire state. WisDOT applauds and supports these community organizations that are working to address transportation needs for workers in every county.”

“Not much means more to a family than a good, stable job,” said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek. “After a year of record employment in Wisconsin, we will continue to fight to remove barriers to work and connect skills with opportunities in a new environment of unpredictability.”

WETAP supports several initiatives to ensure Wisconsinites have access to the transportation they need, including:

• New or expanded transportation services that address the employment-related transportation needs of eligible low-income workers;
• Shared solutions such as ridesharing, public transportation expansion, vanpools, or carpools;
• Individual solutions, such as car repair or used car loan programs; and
• Coordinated transportation solutions that address gaps in service and streamline community efforts.

Wisconsinites looking for help under WETAP can find the contact information for the organization working in their area here.

This announcement builds upon Gov. Evers’ efforts over the last six years to prioritize improving Wisconsin’s transportation aids and infrastructure to ensure the state has the 21st-century infrastructure workers, businesses, and visitors depend on. The 2019-21 and 2021-23 Biennial Budgets, signed by Gov. Evers, both included an increase of $250,000 annually for WETAP, bringing the state’s investment to over $830,000 annually. The governor also proposed an increase of nearly $127,000 for WETAP in his 2023-25 biennial budget. However, Republican members of the Joint Finance Committee rejected the governor’s proposed increase. The 2023-25 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers did, however, provide a two percent increase in mass transit aids to assist local transit systems, as well as a four percent increase in paratransit aids, and increased funding for specialized transit aids for seniors and people with disabilities.

Additionally, Gov. Evers included several efforts in his 2025-27 Executive Budget to promote transit accessibility, such as raising state support of mass transit aids to help provide Wisconsinites better access to jobs, education, friends and family, healthcare, and entertainment; increasing funding for programs supporting seniors and people with disabilities, paratransit, and employer-sponsored commuting options; increasing funding for programs that assist populations with specialized transit needs and job access; and more.

Below is the list of the 2025 WETAP grant recipients.

More information about the WETAP program and the grant awardees can be found here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.