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2026-10-26

Happy Mobile Life v2: Law-First Plan

Date: 2026-10-26
Summary: The full transit plan for Sheboygan, grounded in law, with costs and creative funding.

Happy Mobile Life v2: Law-First Plan

Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Working draft, October 26, 2026.

Outside Reviewer Brief (1 page)

What this is. A bolder second version of the Happy Mobile Life Product for Sheboygan. Version 1 started from a service dream and checked the law afterward. Version 2 starts from the law, the street map and people's real trips, then imagines as far as the law allows. Living car-free here should feel like an upgrade, not a sacrifice.

What stays fixed. Fare-free for everybody, always. One schedule every day, 5 AM to 12:30 AM. Lakeshore Link daily to Port Washington and Brown Deer. Bridge and TIF money for capital. A post-ownership city with electric and autonomous vehicles phased in over about 20 years. Partners are welcome, never required.

Three things version 1 missed, now fixed.

  1. Blue Harbor to downtown. Today it is a 1.1 mile, about 23 minute walk around the 8th Street bridge. The planned Virginia Avenue swing bridge (target late 2027) cuts it to roughly 0.7 mile, about 14 to 16 minutes. A 10 minute harbor loop, e-bikes and a summer water taxi stack on top.
  2. Walking as a first-class mode. Uniform sidewalks, raised crossings, automatic walk signals with leading pedestrian intervals, short crossings and city-led winter clearing on priority routes. Each is tied to a specific authority below.
  3. Money that is real. No transit sales tax exists in Wisconsin, and levy limits have no transit exception. So Phase 1 uses tools Sheboygan has today: a transit share of the wheel tax, federal 5307 and CMAQ money, and a referendum sized in dollars per median home.

The hard truths a reviewer should know.

What we ask a reviewer to test. The minute estimates in Section 1, the legal reading in Section 2 (especially push buttons under the accessibility rules), and the per-home referendum math in Section 4.

1. Blue Harbor to Downtown, Fast

Endpoints used: Blue Harbor, 725 Blue Harbor Drive (South Pier), and City Hall at 8th Street and Center Avenue. Straight-line distance is about 0.52 mile. Coordinates from OpenStreetMap Nominatim; route times from the OpenStreetMap OSRM foot, bike and car profiles (routing.openstreetmap.de), queried October 26, 2026.

Option Route Distance Door-to-door minutes Status
Walk today Around via the 8th Street bridge and roundabout 1.09 mi about 23 Measured (OSRM foot)
Walk via new bridge South Pier Drive, swing bridge, Virginia Avenue, 8th Street about 0.7 mi (estimate) about 14 to 16, plus any wait while the bridge is open for boats Estimate from map; bridge targeted late 2027
Bike or e-bike today Street route 1.15 mi about 8 Measured (OSRM bike)
Bike via new bridge Same as walk via bridge, if bikes are allowed or walked across about 0.7 mi about 5 to 7 Estimate; bike rules on the bridge are an open question
Harbor Loop shuttle Blue Harbor, South Pier, 8th Street bridge, Riverfront, City Hall, back 1.15 mi each way about 9 to 10 at a 10 minute frequency (5 min average wait plus about 4 to 5 min ride) Ride time from OSRM car profile (4.0 min); wait is half the frequency
E-scooter share Street route 1.15 mi about 8 to 10 Estimate at bike-like speeds
Water taxi (summer) Blue Harbor area dock to Riverfront dock under 0.5 mi on water about 10 to 15 with boarding Estimate; gains little time once the bridge opens

The pedestrian bridge. The city plans a movable swing bridge from the end of Virginia Avenue (Riverfront District) to South Pier Drive at the narrowest point of the river. It stays open for boats most of the time and closes at set intervals for people, so walkers no longer have to circle the busy 8th Street roundabout. Construction 2027, completion targeted late 2027. A federal RAISE grant of $5,341,931 with a city match of $1,335,483 supports it. Sources: WHBL, June 8, 2026; Sheboygan Sun; city Public Works packet.

The v2 move. The bridge is the fastest single win. v2 asks that its closing schedule favor people: closed to boats by default in the hours with the most foot traffic, with a posted, predictable cycle so a walker never waits more than a few minutes. Wayfinding and a continuous, lit, snow-cleared sidewalk on both approaches make it the obvious route. The Harbor Loop shuttle covers bad weather and anyone who cannot walk it.

Law check. The bridge schedule is a city operating decision for a city-owned structure, subject to federal navigation rules for the river (the exact Coast Guard drawbridge requirements for this crossing are an open question). A circulator is ordinary fixed-route service for Shoreline Metro. A water taxi carrying up to six paying passengers needs an operator with a Coast Guard OUPV ("six-pack") credential; more than six makes it an inspected small passenger vessel under 46 CFR Subchapter T with a Certificate of Inspection (uscg.mil National Maritime Center; eCFR 46 CFR Part 175).

2. Walking as a First-Class Mode

Goal: walking is never the slow, second-class choice. No detours, no long signal waits, no gaps, no begging a button.

Change What it means on the street Authority Notes
Continuous, uniform sidewalks Fill every gap on transit streets first; one standard width and surface; driveways keep the sidewalk level across them Wis. Stat. 66.0907 lets a city require, build and repair sidewalks and assess costs Gap list should come from the 2025 MPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
Raised and continuous crossings Crosswalks at sidewalk height at side streets and driveways, so cars slow, walkers do not City street design authority on local streets; WisDOT approval needed on state highways Must meet accessibility rules for detectable warnings
Leading pedestrian intervals Walk signal comes on a few seconds before cars get green MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA, 2023) allows LPIs as a signal timing option Low cost: a timing change at existing signals
No "beg buttons" for the walk phase Walk comes up automatically every cycle on busy walking streets (pedestrian recall) Signal timing is the agency's choice under MUTCD Accessibility rules still require accessible push buttons for audible and vibrating cues. So buttons stay for access, but nobody has to press one to get a walk signal
Generous walk timing Timing that does not rush older walkers PROWAG final rule (U.S. Access Board, Federal Register, August 8, 2023): walking speed of 3.5 feet per second or less, minimum 7 second walk PROWAG guidelines become enforceable when adopted by the U.S. DOT or DOJ; v2 follows them now anyway
Shorter crossings Curb extensions, refuge islands, tighter corner radii Complete Streets policy the city has been developing (Sheboygan Sun, December 2023) Refuge islands need their own accessible button or passive detection under PROWAG
Winter clearing as a city duty City crews clear priority walking and transit routes, bus stops and the new bridge approaches within hours of snowfall Wis. Stat. 66.0907(5): the city's board of public works must clear sidewalks owners fail to clear and may bill it as a special tax v2 turns the city from backstop into first responder on priority routes; funding mechanism is an open question
Heated or sheltered key links Snowmelt on the bridge approaches and a few downtown blocks; sheltered stops Capital cost could be listed in a TIF project plan, amended through the Joint Review Board (Wis. Stat. 66.1105) Operating energy cost is not TIF-eligible and must be budgeted

What we did not verify. The City of Sheboygan's own sidewalk snow deadline. Nearby Sheboygan Falls requires owners to clear within 24 hours and bills the cost; the Town of Sheboygan uses 12 hours. The city ordinance text is an open question.

3. Imaginative Alternatives, Each Checked

Idea Fit for Sheboygan Law check Verdict
E-bike and cargo-bike lending library High. Short distances, flat lakefront Wisconsin defines Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes (Wisconsin Bike Fed municipal guidance) Do in Phase 1, low cost
E-bike and scooter share Medium to high, seasonal 2019 Wisconsin Act 11 legalized e-scooters; Wis. Stat. 349.237 lets the city regulate, permit or ban rentals Pilot by city permit
Microtransit vans High at night and on the edges Demand-response service must meet ADA equivalent-service rules Already in plan for overnight (about $378K a year)
Car-share Medium. Supports going car-free for the occasional big trip No special state barrier found Pilot near downtown and the harbor; partners welcome, never required
Water taxi Seasonal and fun; little time savings after the bridge Coast Guard OUPV or Subchapter T rules (Section 1) Summer experience, not a commuter backbone
Gondola Low. Trips are short and the bridge solves the river No legal barrier, but no trip it serves better than the bridge or a loop Not recommended. Honest no
Covered skyway-style links Low to medium. Can pull life off the street TIF capital eligible if in the project plan Prefer arcades and sheltered stops at street level
Autonomous shuttle pilot Medium, as a harbor or downtown loop Precedent: goMARTI in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, a free year-round May Mobility service, free through at least 2028, with manual driving in severe cold. Wisconsin's rules for driverless operation are an open question Pursue a supervised pilot in Phase 2
Employer vanpools Medium for shift work in the region Ordinary vanpool programs; partners welcome, never required Offer, do not depend on any one employer
Regional coach High value Indian Trails already runs Sheboygan to Milwaukee (a 7:10 AM departure arrives 8:20 AM). States must spend 15% of 5311 funds on intercity bus (5311(f)) Pair with Lakeshore Link
Rail Long term The Hiawatha extension study (FRA Corridor ID, $500K) runs Milwaukee to Green Bay via Fond du Lac, not Sheboygan. The I-41 Thruway bus ended October 1, 2025 and never served Sheboygan (WisDOT) Connect by coach to Milwaukee; advocate for a lakeshore study

Lakeshore Link and Brown Deer. MCTS Route 68 serves the Brown Deer East Park and Ride weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, about every 30 minutes; the last weekday southbound trip is about 9:45 PM (MCTS Route 68 timetable). Lakeshore Link times should meet it, and late trips past 9:45 PM need a Milwaukee-side answer.

Electric buses in winter. Expect about a third less range in deep cold (NREL study of Duluth transit, doi 10.2172/1887443). Fleet counts must include this.

4. Money v2: Phased, Built on Steady Revenue

Ground rules from law. No transit sales tax or regional transit authority is allowed (RTAs repealed by 2011 Act 32; SB 754 died March 23, 2026). The levy limit (Wis. Stat. 66.0602) has no transit exception; a referendum under 66.0602(4) or a county consolidation under 66.0602(3)(g) are the real routes. State aid for Tier B systems is a fixed pool of $25,475,900 a year (Wis. Stat. 85.20(4m)), so growth here does not automatically bring more state money. One-time TIF and bridge money pays for capital only.

Where we start. Shoreline Metro spent $4,295,776 to operate in 2024 ($94.65 per revenue hour) and about $4.32M in 2025. The 2026 budget uses the last of the pandemic relief money (Sheboygan Press, July 16, 2025).

Tool 1: transit share of the wheel tax (verified base, derived yields). City staff estimate $999,260 a year from the new $30 wheel tax, about $33,300 per dollar (citizenportal.ai). Wis. Stat. 341.35 requires the money go to transportation purposes, which can include transit. WisDOT keeps about 3 cents per vehicle.

Added transit wheel tax Yearly yield (derived)
$10 about $333,000
$20 about $666,000
$30 about $999,000

For comparison, Milwaukee charges $41, Madison and Janesville $40, Eau Claire $50 and Manitowoc $20.

Tool 2: referendum, sized per home (derived). The 2026 city levy is $30,129,824 at $6.2452 per $1,000, which implies about $4.82 billion of taxable value. Each $1M a year of added levy is about $0.21 per $1,000, or about $36 a year on the $174,200 median home.

Ongoing levy increase Rate added per $1,000 Median home per year
$1M about $0.21 about $36
$3M about $0.62 about $108
$5M about $1.04 about $181

Tool 3: federal formula money. Section 5307 can pay up to 50% of net operating cost in urbanized areas under 200,000 (Sheboygan is about 59,490).

Tool 4: CMAQ startup. CMAQ can fund about 3 years of operating cost for new service, spread over up to 5 years. Good for launching the Harbor Loop and new routes.

Phase Years Service Steady money Startup and capital
1. Prove it 2027 to 2028 Harbor Loop at 10 minutes, free fares pilot, walking upgrades on priority routes, e-bike library Transit wheel tax share ($333K to $666K), 5307 on new hours CMAQ startup; RAISE bridge; TIF for crossings and sidewalks
2. Every day 2029 to 2031 One schedule every day, expanding hours toward 5 AM to 12:30 AM; Lakeshore Link daily; AV pilot Referendum ($1M to $5M), county consolidation talks TIF ramps ($20M to $22M range) for mobility hubs; electric buses
3. Full vision 2032 and on 580 bus-hours a day, about $22.6M a year Larger referendum, state aid reform, a state law allowing regional transit funding Fleet renewal toward electric and autonomous

Fare-free check. Free fixed routes mean free ADA paratransit (49 CFR 37.131 caps it at twice the bus fare; today it is $4.00). Paratransit must also match bus hours and days, so longer hours raise its cost too. Fare-free stays the goal; lost fare revenue is a Phase 1 budget line.

5. What Fare-Free Saves

Fare-free is a design choice, so this section counts what the city stops paying for, and what it gives up, using Shoreline Metro's own 2026 budget first and peer systems second. Every number shows its math.

5.1 What fares bring in today

5.2 Administration savings

5.3 Equipment savings over time

5.4 The service is its own promotion

Design principle: the service is so good that people just use it, like the Montreal Metro. One fixed schedule every day and no fares means there is nothing to sell. The website is all we need, and the ad budget is zero.

5.5 Basic rider information (operations)

Part of everyday operations, like clean buses and on-time trips.

Requirement Authority What we do
Public comment before a fare increase or a major service cut 49 U.S.C. 5307(c)(1)(I); Shoreline Metro Public Comment Policy Policy on file
Title VI notice of nondiscrimination 49 CFR 21.9(d); FTA C 4702.1B, Ch. III-5 Post on the website and in the office. Put one standard notice card in each bus and at main stops. Translate per the language assistance plan
Language access and public participation plan FTA C 4702.1B, Ch. III One plan, updated every three years with the Title VI program
Accessible rider information, including for riders without internet 49 CFR 37.167(f); paratransit eligibility materials, 49 CFR 37.125 One phone line with TTY or 711 relay that reads the schedule. Large print and other formats on request. Notice of temporary changes by phone and at affected stops
Public meeting notice for Transit Commission decisions Wisconsin open meetings law, Wis. Stat. 19.84 Standard agenda posting
Stop information Design choice One permanent sign per stop with the route, the every-day schedule and the phone number

5.6 Triage savings

5.7 Net picture

Item Low savings case High savings case Math
Mobile ticketing fees $5,000 $5,000 2026 HotSpot line
Advertising and marketing $20,000 $20,000 Full 2026 line; zero ad budget
Cash handling and farebox upkeep $12,900 $19,300 4.2% to 6.25% of $308,000 (Kansas City ratio)
Farebox replacement, local share $5,200 $6,000 22 x $16,600 to $19,068, over 14 years, x 20%
Boarding time $8,200 $35,700 97 to 420 hours x $84.86
Total yearly savings $51,400 $85,900
Lost fares (2026 budget) $583,000 $583,000 $308,000 + $275,000
School district agreement $91,350 lost kept 2026 line
Net yearly cost of fare-free about $623,000 about $497,000 $583,000 + $91,350 - $51,400; $583,000 - $85,900

What the net means. Savings recover about 9% to 15% of fares. Fare-free is a choice the city funds on purpose, mainly with the transit share of the wheel tax and the referendum in Section 4. It costs about $497,000 to $623,000 a year at today's service level, which equals about $15 to $19 a year in wheel tax ($33,300 per dollar), or about $18 to $22 a year on the median home ($36 per $1M of levy).

The federal 5307 effect. Federal operating aid can cover up to 50% of net operating cost, which is cost minus fares (49 U.S.C. 5307(d)(2); FTA C 9030.1E). Removing $583,000 of fares raises the federal ceiling from about $1,768,000 to about $2,060,000. Shoreline Metro's 2026 federal aid ($1,623,768) is already below the ceiling, though, and Wisconsin sets combined state and federal aid as a uniform share of costs (55.5% in the 2026 budget). So the plan counts no new federal dollars. Fares were never allowed as local match (49 U.S.C. 5307(d)(3)), so going fare-free does not shrink the match. The local dollars that replace fares, from the levy or the wheel tax, are eligible match.

6. Creative Funding

The swing bridge proves the model: a clear story plus a federal program plus a local match. Every source below is real and current, and each one is matched to what it legally pays for. The pitch is the same everywhere: Sheboygan is getting ready for universal high income, where a great public mobility system gives everyone more time, health and freedom than a car payment ever could.

6.1 The precedent: how the swing bridge was funded

The city applied to the U.S. DOT RAISE program and won $5,341,931 in August 2022, announced by Wisconsin's senior U.S. Senator, who noted support "through the appropriations process" (Senator's press release, August 10, 2022; WHBL, August 11, 2022). The city committed a $1,335,483 match (Resolution 65-23-24, October 2023). The MPO's 2025-2028 TIP programs $6,677,000 for construction in 2027, 80% RAISE and 20% local. Lesson: a competitive federal grant, backed by a Senator's public support, with a modest local match.

6.2 Congressionally Directed Spending (Senate) and Community Project Funding (House)

What it pays for: transit capital only. Senate THUD guidance for FY2027 says it will not fund operating expenses or administrative salaries. Buses, stations, shelters, mobility hubs and transit planning tied to a specific project are eligible. Every DOT project keeps its normal non-federal cost share, and funds are paid by reimbursement (FY2027 Senate guidance as published by Senate offices).

Recipients: governments and nonprofits only; no for-profit recipients. The House caps all CPF at 0.5% of discretionary spending; the Senate caps CDS at 1% (House and Senate FY2027 guidance).

Realistic amount: $1 million to $5 million per project. Recent Wisconsin examples: a $2,000,000 Milwaukee County bus replacement request by the senior Senator (Senate THUD CDS list), and two FY2027 House requests from the 1st District office totaling $7 million ($5 million and $2 million, both shoreline and harbor projects).

Deadlines: the FY2027 cycle has closed (Senate THUD requests were due April 20, 2026; House THUD March 20, 2026). FY2028 should follow the same rhythm: member intake forms open January to March 2027, with requests due to offices about a week before each committee deadline. Start now.

How to submit: the city sends one project to each of three offices: the senior U.S. Senator's office (online CDS form), the junior U.S. Senator's office (whether it accepts requests is an open question), and the 1st Congressional District House office (online CPF form; this office submitted FY2027 THUD requests). Include council resolution, match commitment, the TIP listing, cost estimate and letters of support.

Pitch angle: "The first city built for universal high income: electric buses and mobility hubs that make car-free life an upgrade."

6.3 Wisconsin state sources

Transit Capital Assistance: the governor's 2025-27 budget (SB 45) proposed a new $20 million GPR program for WisDOT to replace aging transit vehicles. Pays for vehicles (capital). Next step: confirm enacted status and the application round with WisDOT.

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP): pays for walking and biking capital, the Section 2 sidewalk and crossing work. The 2026-2030 cycle closed October 31, 2025 (49 projects, over $32 million statewide, announced August 21, 2026). The 2028-2032 cycle opens about summer 2027 (WisDOT TAP page).

CMAQ (state-run federal funds): Sheboygan County is an eligible area. Pays startup operating for new or expanded service for up to three years at 80% federal, plus capital. The 2026-2030 cycle is closed; the 2028-2032 cycle information is expected summer 2027 (WisDOT CMAQ page). This is the best operating money for the Harbor Loop and longer hours.

State budget items: the next biennial budget (2027-29) is built in 2027. The city asks its state legislators and the governor's office for a named item, such as a transit capital or mobility hub line. Pitch: the Lakeshore Link as a regional workforce connector from Sheboygan to Milwaukee County.

6.4 Federal discretionary grants

Bus and Bus Facilities (5339(b)) and Low-No (5339(c)): capital for buses and facilities; Low-No for zero- or low-emission buses and charging. FY2026 offered about $21 million (Bus) and $589 million (Low-No); applications closed September 21, 2026 (FTA NOFO; Federal Register 2026-15090). FY2025 Low-No awards ranged from $256,281 to $121 million. Realistic ask: $2 million to $10 million for electric buses and chargers. Next NOFO expected mid-2027. Pitch: a winter-ready electric fleet for a city that runs every day.

BUILD (formerly RAISE): capital for multimodal projects of local significance, up to $25 million. FY2026 closed February 24, 2026 with $1.5 billion; the FY2027 NOFO has not been released (NLC fact sheet; U.S. DOT). Realistic ask: $5 million to $15 million for a downtown and harbor mobility hub with sheltered links. Pitch: the bridge was round one; the hub is round two.

Areas of Persistent Poverty: FTA states no future funding is anticipated (last cycle FY2023). Not a source.

Reconnecting Communities: the last NOFO was 2024; no new round is posted. Not a near-term source.

6.5 Philanthropy and research partners

Guaranteed-income research has a Wisconsin home: UW-Madison's Institute for Research on Poverty co-evaluated the Madison Forward Fund ($500 a month to 155 households, about $930,000, privately funded), with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (IRP; CGIR report, October 2025).

The v2 ask: a "Mobility as Income" study. Fare-free, every-day service is a cash-equivalent benefit to every household. Partner with IRP and CGIR to measure time saved, jobs reached, health visits kept and household savings from going car-free. Pays for: research, evaluation and pilot costs, not core operations. Realistic range: $250,000 to $1 million, based on the Madison pilot's scale. Deadline: rolling, by partner.

Employers and hospitals: cash from non-government sources counts as federal local match (49 U.S.C. 5307(d)(3)(A)). Hospitals and large employers can sponsor a route extension, a shift-time trip or a mobility hub. Partners welcome, never required. Pitch: healthier, on-time staff without parking costs.

6.6 Local tools and their limits

TIF: pays for capital only, such as mobility hubs, sheltered stops, sidewalks and heated links inside a district, once listed in the project plan and approved through the Joint Review Board (Wis. Stat. 66.1105). Not operating.

Parking revenue: the parking utility already transfers $70,200 a year to transit (2026 budget). Raising downtown parking rates and routing the increase to transit is a council decision. Pitch: every parking dollar funds the free bus that makes parking optional.

Wheel tax and referendum: the steady operating base (Section 4).

No vehicle advertising: v2 skips bus ads by design, consistent with zero promotion (Section 5.4).

6.7 Ranked action list

  1. Now to January 2027: build the FY2028 CDS and CPF package for electric buses and the harbor mobility hub, with council resolution and match.

  2. Spring 2027: watch for the FY2027 BUILD NOFO and prepare the mobility hub application.

  3. Summer 2027: apply to CMAQ (2028-2032) for Harbor Loop and expanded-hours startup operating.

  4. Summer 2027: apply to TAP (2028-2032) for priority sidewalks and raised crossings.

  5. Mid-2027: apply to Low-No for electric buses and chargers.

  6. 2027: ask state legislators for a 2027-29 budget item and confirm the Transit Capital Assistance round.

  7. Rolling: open the "Mobility as Income" research partnership with IRP and CGIR, and invite hospital and employer sponsors.

6.8 Flexible municipal money: CDBG, pandemic funds and budget moves

Municipal budgets move every year by council vote. Three flexible pots fit the plan.

CDBG (Community Development Block Grant). Sheboygan is a HUD entitlement city and receives only CDBG from HUD's formula programs. The 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan projects about $900,000 a year ($4.5 million over five years), and the city anticipates about $928,390 for 2026 (draft 2026 Annual Action Plan, public comment September 16 to October 16, 2026; council action scheduled October 19, 2026). Current uses center on housing rehabilitation, real-property acquisition, public services and a $160,000 yearly Section 108 debt repayment (2025 plan amendment). Best of all, the Consolidated Plan itself names "public transportation during 2nd and 3rd shifts" as a priority need, alongside sidewalks and streetlights. The plan already asks for what v2 delivers.

CDBG capital: stops, shelters, sidewalks, curb ramps, lighting and mobility hubs that serve low- and moderate-income (LMI) areas are eligible public facilities and improvements (24 CFR 570.201(c)).

CDBG operating: transportation services are an eligible public service (24 CFR 570.201(e)). Public services are capped at 15% of the grant plus 15% of prior-year program income, about $139,000 a year on a $928,390 grant before program income. That room funds evening and late-night trips that reach second and third shift jobs.

70% rule: at least 70% of CDBG spending over the certification period must benefit LMI persons (24 CFR 570.200(a)(3)). Fare-free, every-day transit fits naturally: LMI residents ride most, and service can be documented through LMI-area routes and rider surveys.

Section 108: HUD guarantees loans of up to five times the latest CDBG grant, about $4.6 million for Sheboygan, repaid from future CDBG (24 CFR 570.705). The city already uses Section 108, so the tool is familiar. Fit: front-funding hubs and sidewalks now.

Pitch angle: "CDBG builds the floor for universal high income: free, every-day mobility to every job and shift."

Next step: the 2027 Annual Action Plan cycle (comment period about September 2027, based on the 2026 calendar). Ask Planning and Development to add a transit public-service line and an LMI-area stop and sidewalk line.

Pandemic funds. The city received $22,006,206 in ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The council's final allocation (Res. 134-24-25, December 16, 2024) committed every dollar to 19 projects, led by the $9,550,000 raw water intake and $7,000,000 for affordable housing grants; none went to transit. All funds were obligated by the December 31, 2024 deadline, and spending must finish by December 31, 2026. No unobligated balance remains to redirect.

Transit received its own federal relief through FTA: $3,497,562 in CARES Act operating and capital and $1,426,648 in ARPA operating assistance (FTA Triennial Review, FY2024). WisDOT reports relief dollars bought six new cutaway buses and five support vehicles, replaced the operations facility roof and kept full service running since 2020 (WisDOT 2024 Performance Review). The final pieces were a CAD/AVL system ($100,000, TIP 2025) and $100,000 for engine maintenance in 2025. Fleet renewal also drew on a $2,268,425 FTA 5339 and CMAQ award (2022), and the next five heavy-duty buses carry a $2,100,000 CMAQ award. The lesson: when relief money arrived, Shoreline Metro turned it into vehicles fast. The same readiness wins the next round.

Budget moves. The city general fund, the Capital Improvement Program (bus replacement already ranks as a "mandated project") and Sheboygan County (which already shares sales tax with the city for transportation infrastructure under a 2022 intergovernmental agreement) are all set each budget cycle. A council or county board vote can move dollars to v2 service. Pitch: one line in each budget buys a city where no one needs a car.

Added actions: (8) Fall 2027: put transit service and LMI-area stops into the 2027 CDBG Annual Action Plan. (9) Each budget cycle: ask the city and county for a named v2 line item.

Verified Facts Appendix

Open Questions

  1. City of Sheboygan sidewalk snow ordinance text and deadline.
  2. Swing bridge operating schedule, Coast Guard drawbridge rules, and whether bikes may ride across.
  3. Exact walk distance via the new bridge once built (current figure is a map estimate).
  4. Whether the council would add a transit share to the wheel tax or reallocate part of the $30.
  5. Equalized versus assessed value for referendum math (the $4.82 billion figure is derived from the levy and rate).
  6. Fare revenue lost when going fare-free, and the added paratransit cost.
  7. Wisconsin rules for driverless shuttle operation on public streets.
  8. A funding mechanism for city-led sidewalk clearing (special charge versus general budget).
  9. The "about $10M" of new city bridge money mentioned in version 1 is still unverified and is not used here.
  10. A Milwaukee-side plan for Lakeshore Link riders arriving after the last Route 68 trip.
  11. Staff hours spent on fare counting, pass sales and reduced-fare cards (not a separate budget line).
  12. Printed timetable and rider guide costs (not a separate budget line).
  13. Added paratransit demand when paratransit becomes free (Kansas City saw $1.2 million in added paratransit cost, MARC 2021).
  14. Whether the school district agreement continues once fares end.
  15. Shoreline Metro's own security incident counts from NTD.
  16. Shoreline Metro's actual farebox model, age and replacement date.
  17. Creative Funding open questions:
    1. Was the $20 million Transit Capital Assistance program enacted in the final 2025-27 budget, and when is its next round?
    1. Does the junior U.S. Senator's office accept CDS requests for FY2028?
    1. Exact FY2028 member deadlines for CDS and CPF (expected January to March 2027).
    1. Release date and amount of the FY2027 BUILD and 5339 NOFOs.
    1. Will IRP and CGIR co-design a "Mobility as Income" study, and which foundations would fund it?
    1. Would local hospitals or large employers sponsor a route, trip or hub (never required)?
    1. How much of the 15% CDBG public-services room is already committed in the 2026 Annual Action Plan?
    1. Did any city or transit pandemic funds buy used buses? City and FTA records show new cutaways and support vehicles only.

All research