Tomah Transit council: TOMAH, Wis. Tomah Common Council is scheduled to discuss and take action on the city’s shared-ride transit program Monday evening after a packed public hearing where riders, health workers, and disability advocates said losing Tomah Transit would cut people off from jobs, groceries, pharmacies, and medical appointments.
The Monroe County Herald reported Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, that city officials are weighing whether to continue supporting the program when the current contract expires Dec. 31. The hearing closed without a final vote. Discussion and action appear on the Monday, Sept. 21 Common Council agenda, with the meeting set for 6:30 p.m.
What the hearing put on the record
Abby Vans has operated Tomah Transit since Jan. 1, 2025, after winning the contract through a competitive process. The Herald reported the system runs around the clock, every day of the year, and serves an area extending roughly 10 miles beyond the city.
A company representative told the council Abby Vans provided more than 44,000 trips in 2025 and about 27,000 so far in 2026, projecting another year above 40,000 rides. About 1,273 passengers have used the system this year, the representative said, and roughly 70% of trips involved older adults, veterans, or people with disabilities.
State and federal money currently covers an estimated 56% of operating costs, according to hearing materials summarized by the Herald. The city covers part of the remaining local share, and passenger fares also support the service. Several speakers asked the council to calculate the city’s true net savings before ending the program, including lost state and federal support and fare revenue if service disappears.
Jobs, hospital discharge, and independence
Sheri Balsley told the council she has relied on the service since her husband died. “I don’t have anyone else to help me out,” she said, according to the Herald. “If it’s taken away, they’re taking away my independence.”
David Fessenbecker said he uses Tomah Transit five or six days a week to reach his job at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center and warned he would lose independence without it. He also works as a transportation coordinator at the VA and said the city service fills gaps the VA cannot cover alone.
Assisted-living and nursing-home operators said residents use the vans for medical visits and shopping, and that some employees also depend on the rides. Facilities said they lack enough staff and vehicles to absorb that demand.
Amanda Burkhalter, social services coordinator at Tomah Health, warned that transportation needs do not vanish if the cheapest option ends. People may miss appointments, delay treatment, or lean harder on relatives, agencies, and emergency responders, she said. Jessica Mitchell, an emergency room nurse at Tomah Health, said communities without public transit sometimes rely on ambulance rides to send discharged patients home even when there is no medical reason for ambulance transport, at a cost she put near $2,000.
Negotiation framing versus discontinuation risk
City messaging has not been identical across outlets. In a Sept. 15 WXOW report, Mayor Paul Dwyer said the city intended to push Abby Vans to revise the contract and fix long wait times, rather than cancel the program outright. The Herald’s Sept. 20 account still framed Monday’s agenda as a decision point on whether Tomah can keep supporting the shared-ride program when the contract ends. Abby Vans said it would discuss cost-cutting options, including adjusted hours, while noting night and weekend demand.
Until council acts, the honest stakes remain a Dec. 31 contract cliff, documented rider dependence, and a live debate between cost control and continued service.
How this fits other transit fights
Other cities are balancing the same rider-access question when local shares tighten, from Seattle’s Hop On Board measure and Miami-Dade bus and Metromover budget cuts to Alexandria school bus walk-zone reviews and Amherst busing levy pressure. Tomah’s version is sharper because the service is 24-hour shared-ride and so many trips already serve aging, disability, veterans care, and hospital discharge.
What to watch Monday
Watch whether council directs staff to renegotiate with Abby Vans, cuts hours, seeks another provider, or moves toward ending the program at year-end. Watch for any published calculation of the city’s net local cost after state, federal, and fare offsets. Watch whether wheelchair-accessible, overnight, and VA-linked trips remain protected in any revised scope.
Rick Murray, whose son has special needs, asked council members to remember how quickly anyone can lose the ability to drive. “That community needs public transportation,” he said, according to the Herald. “There’s got to be something we can do in this community to keep it, make it work and help others down the road.”
Why this matters
This is a kitchen-table mobility story. More than 40,000 annual trips, a rider base heavily weighted toward older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities, and hospital staff describing ambulance-or-wait alternatives make Monday’s agenda about independence and care access, not only a line item. Tomah residents deserve a clear council record on net cost, hours, and whether the Dec. 31 cliff becomes a renegotiation or a cutoff.
How Never Late News reported this
Never Late News based this report on Monroe County Herald coverage by Eric Roellig published Sept. 20, 2026 (hearing record, Monday 6:30 p.m. agenda, trip counts, 70% older/veteran/disability share, 56% state-federal cost share, and named speaker comments) and WXOW’s Sept. 15 report quoting Mayor Paul Dwyer on renegotiation and wait times. We did not invent a final vote or claim service has already ended. Confirm Monday’s minutes when posted.
Corrections and reader feedback
If you spot an error in this report, email tips@neverlatenews.com. We correct the record promptly and note substantive updates at the bottom of the story when needed.