Following Federal Transit Administration guidelines, an evaluation panel representing Milwaukee County and Milwaukee Transport Services unanimously chose First Transit as its next paratransit van service provider, according to MCTS's news release.

First Transit has served Milwaukee County for more than 30 years. In 2022, First Transit provided more than 275,000 rides with an on-time pickup rate of 98.4%.

“We’re excited to award to a partner with deep roots in the local paratransit community, one that has served Milwaukee County since 1991, but yet brings the extensive resources and forward-thinking of a national organization,” said Fran Musci, MCTS Transit Plus director. “I’m especially excited about the opportunities their technology will bring our riders.”

MCTS said chose to consolidate service with one vendor, First Transit, for a path to modernizing service for riders with disabilities.

First Transit will provide Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology, which gives riders automated reminder calls and advanced arrival alerts that consumers have come to expect from other ride services.

“By consolidating service with one vendor, we can more quickly implement improvements and offer consistent performance across our diverse ridership,” said Musci.

The contract begins next year in November 2023.

“First Transit shares our goal to improve quality of life by connecting riders to the places they want to go. And ease of mobility is key to that goal. I look forward to continuing our partnership as we implement our new contract,” said Musci.