AN INNOVATIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR A SMALL CITY: THE MERRILL, WISCONSIN, CASE STUDY

This paper describes a recently implemented innovative transportation system which can serve as a prototype for similar systems in other areas. The system was implemented in Merrill, Wisconsin, a city of 9500 persons that has had a long history of public transportation, but has been unable to maintain high-quality transit service in recent years. A point deviation bus system, a form of demand-responsive transportation that has seen little experimentation, has been introduced in Merrill with the help of a state demonstration grant. The system uses two vehicles which make scheduled stops at checkpoints located around the city, but also respond to requests for doorstop pickups or drop-offs between checkpoints. A higher fare is charged for the premium doorstop service. With operating data for the first 7 months of service available, it appears that the point deviation concept is operationally valid. The service has been of high enough quality to attract a significantly greater number of passengers than has been using the transportation services that previously existed in Merrill. The higher cost, doorstop service option has been chosen by almost 40 percent of the adult ridership. Cost per hour has been below the cost of many other demand-responsive transportation systems. The system has demonstrated how high-quality transportation service can be provided in a small city. /Author/