General Info
City Year Milwaukee is a longtime advocate of Milwaukee County Transit System and relies on public transportation to get their members to and from job sites around the city on a daily basis. City Year Milwaukee joined the CVP program in 2016 and currently has 52 members participating in the program.
Situation
City Year differs from a number of other Milwaukee companies based on the fact that a number of their employees have relocated specifically to serve the Milwaukee community. This means that a number of City Year’s AmeriCorps members do not have access to a vehicle and are in need of other forms of transportation. As part of their employment, members are asked to serve in various parts of the Milwaukee area, so offering reliable transportation options is vital for these individuals. In addition to offering AmeriCorps members an efficient way to get to and from work, this is also a great way for them to explore all that Milwaukee has to offer if this is their first time living here.
Implementation
The CVP program is rolled out to members on their registration day and they are able to obtain the benefit on their very first week working for City Year. For many of the members, MCTS is their main form of transportation used for both work and outside of work. Because of this, it is very important that members are able to get signed up for the program on their very first day at work. Rose Wegner, City Year’s Senior Operations Manager notes, “I appreciate the way the UMO app provides the benefit instantly instead of waiting for the physical bus pass to come in.”
What makes this case study unique?
The majority of employees that work for City Year are not local to the Milwaukee area, so offering reliable transportation is extremely necessary. These individuals may be looking for an efficient way to get to and from work, but many of them are also new to the area. Being able to take advantage of public transportation in Milwaukee offers these individuals a great resource to explore the city and get to know the area without also navigating traffic and rough weather. “The CVP program helps make the entire community of Milwaukee more accessible to all employees of City Year. It is a huge benefit and helps make service more accessible to all,” says a current City Year Milwaukee AmeriCorps Member.
Results
City Year has found the CVP program to be extremely valuable for their members. “Providing transportation is just one thing that we can do to give back to them and thank them for their dedication and time that they give to Milwaukee. Knowing that they have a reliable way to get to and from work and a key to explore the city means a lot to them,” says Wegner.