All decisions

What we chose: a fare-free coach every day of the year along I-43. It runs from the Central Hub to the South Hub, Port Washington and the Brown Deer East Park and Ride, two trips each way, morning and evening.

• 5:00 a.m. from Sheboygan, arriving at Brown Deer about 6:00 a.m.
• 6:15 a.m. from Brown Deer, arriving in Sheboygan about 7:15 a.m.
• 4:15 p.m. from Sheboygan, arriving at Brown Deer about 5:15 p.m.
• 5:30 p.m. from Brown Deer, arriving in Sheboygan about 6:30 p.m.

What else we considered:

• Skipping Port Washington for a faster trip.
• Running all the way to downtown Milwaukee or the Amtrak station.
• Weekdays only.

Why: we looked at where the job flows go and at what's already there. Port Washington sits at the midpoint, with its own riders and connections, and stopping there costs only a few minutes. Ending at Brown Deer puts riders straight onto the Milwaukee County bus network, from where the GreenLine reaches Mitchell Airport and downtown routes reach the Amtrak station. That let us keep the Link short, reliable and affordable, using the big-city network for the rest of the trip.

We chose every day because the Link isn't just a commuter bus. It's Sheboygan's road to the airport and to Amtrak, and people fly and take the train on weekends and holidays too. Two trips each way also means people in both cities can go out in the morning and come home at night.

Every morning a coach leaves for the grid. Every evening one comes home.

Next decision: 8. Hyper-connected cities, and an optional "What Else"