Van service cuts commuter costs to Madison

WISCONSIN – As gas prices creep higher and more and more Columbia County residents commute to Madison for work each day, the need for a cheaper way to travel becomes increasingly important. Lucky for area commuters, there has been a program in place for nearly three decades.

The Van Pool program, overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Administration, was created in the late 1970s during a time of energy crisis. Today, there are 71 state-owned vans serving Madison-bound workers from 15 counties. Each averages about 13 passengers, meaning more than 900 people use the program each working day.

Of those, five start in Portage. One starts in Wisconsin Dells and makes a stop in Portage and eight others leave from other municipalities in the county.

“It’s a great way to go back and forth to work,” said Kay Miller, coordinator for one of the Portage vans.

Portage Daily Register