City wants to get us rolling Green Bay Metro Transit director Dave Nennig (photo by H. Marc Larson). David Nennig has been challenged to increase bus ridership By Tim Harty News-Chronicle Among his proposed 50 ways to leave your lover, singer Paul Simon suggested hopping on the bus. Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt and Green Bay Metro Transit director Dave Nennig hope to see more area residents take that course of action for more practical reasons. Last week, during his speech marking his first 100 days in office, Schmitt spoke briefly about the need to get more people utilizing public transportation. Metro bus riders, Schmitt said, are people who don't have vehicles or can't drive, and that is not enough. "We've got to get people who drive to utilize the transit system here in Green Bay," Schmitt said. That's where Nennig steps in. Taking office May 22 after Tim Collins took a similar job in Georgia, Nennig has been challenged by the mayor to increase bus ridership by 15 percent during the next year. Nennig rattled off numerous reasons why it is important to get more people riding the buses - it's more economical, especially when gas prices rise; Green Bay's population is getting older; it helps prevent traffic congestion; some downtown businesses don't have parking for their employees; it reduces pollution and helps the environment - but the bottom line is money. Nennig said state aid for public transportation will be frozen at its current level for the next two years, and he anticipates a one-year freeze on federal aid. With that in mind, increased ridership is desired for additional revenue. "We won't get any more (aid) than we get now. It might even be reduced," said Nennig. "We know there won't be any increases, but at the same time things like our fuel, our labor costs, the cost of benefits, those costs are all going up. So, we know we have some real challenges facing us. I think we have a couple difficult years ahead. But the goal of increased ridership is something we have to do nevertheless." Nennig said more than 6,000 people every weekday use Green Bay Metro, which provides bus service six days per week to Green Bay, Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, De Pere and the Oneida Casino. Public transportation is being used, but Nennnig said, "The image is we have a lot of empty buses around." "Right now we could serve a lot more people than we are," he added. "We could have a 25 percent increase in ridership and not have to increase our costs significantly." Use of public transportation is on the rise around the nation, Nennig said, and getting Green Bay to follow the trend will be a matter of smart planning and marketing, targeting unmet needs and people who could easily ride the bus instead of driving. "We need to market to people who have a choice," he said. "We need to be out there promoting our services and meeting the needs of the people." For example, Green Bay's population is growing east of Interstate 43, and business development is booming there, but Green Bay Metro does not service the area. There was a request last year to run a route to Aurora BayCare, a new hospital in that area. "We're looking into improving service to the far east side," he said. "There is no service to I-43 business park. There is an unmet need there." The city of De Pere recently sent Nennig a request to send buses to several new businesses at State 41 and Scheuring Road. Marketing is needed to become more visible. Nennig said one couple told him they had lived in Green Bay for a year before they knew it had a public transportation system. "We need to get the word out, publish our routes better," Nennig said. "We have a role that may have been underappreciated in the past." One measure already is working. Several weeks after he took the job, Nennig suggested implementing youth-group fares, allowing those kids to ride for 60 cents instead of the normal $1.25. The Transit Commission approved the plan during its June meeting; it went into effect July 1, and as of July 30, Nennig said, 3,010 kids had taken part in that program. "Those are riders we wouldn't have had otherwise," he said. In August, Nennig wants to promote services to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and St. Norbert College, where classes resume soon. He has a sizable list of other programs he'd like to implement, but if and when remains to be seen. "We haven't had the ability to implement much yet," Nennig said. "Part of it revolves around next year's budget and what kind of resources we'll have ... It's difficult to start marketing our services until we know what our situation is. We'll start more aggressively marketing next year." Then, Nennig will emphasize Green Bay Metro is "safe, convenient and reliable." And he practices what he preaches. Nennig rides the bus to work every day. HOP ON THE BUS To increase the number of riders on Green Bay Metro buses, Transit Director Dave Nennig is considering numerous ideas, including the following: - Update the outdated marketing materials currently in use. - Promote within the ethnic communities where language barriers may be an obstacle to informing people about public transportation. - Promote to newcomers to the city. - Encourage parents to use the bus to shuttle their children around town. - Improve locations of bus stops. - Identify areas where service is underutilized. - Identify areas where service is unavailable but needed. - Make schedule changes to accommodate employers, encouraging them to encourage their workers to ride the bus. "We want employers to rely on us to get their employees to work on time every day," Nennig said. - Sell passes for the entire year. Currently they can be purchased one month at a time. - Provide week-long passes for visitors to the city. - Provide summer passes for students. - Promote major events such as the Brown County Fair or the city's annual Fourth of July celebration and provide service for them. - Put bike racks on buses. - Run more of the smaller buses, which are more comfortable to ride in and easier to enter for disabled people. Three are in service now; six more are on order and will be in service by the end of the year. - Promote sale of bus passes as gifts for Christmas and special occasions. QUICK FACTS - Green Bay Metro sold 24,314 bus passes in 2002. - There were more than 1.78 million riders on Green Bay Metro buses in 2002. - The city of Green Bay took over transit service from Wisconsin Public Service in Feb. 1973. - There has been transit service in Green Bay for 111 years. - In 1972 there were 13 bus drivers; in 2003 there are 55 drivers. - Green Bay Metro employs 81 people.