October 13, 2026 – Hartford, Wi -The City of Hartford Shared-Ride Taxi is proposing two fare increases that would affect passengers who need drivers to wait for them or who travel outside the city limits. A public hearing on the proposed increases is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, during the Hartford Common Council meeting at Hartford City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
Deb Holton, transportation superintendent for Hartford Shared-Ride Taxi, said the proposal would increase the wait-time charge from 25 cents to 50 cents per minute and add 25 cents to the current $1.25-per-mile charge for trips outside the city limits.
The standard fare is currently $4.25 for a ride within Hartford.
Holton said the wait-time fee applies when a driver takes a passenger to a location and waits while the person completes an errand, such as picking up a prescription at a pharmacy.
“Every minute they’re in there, it’s 25 cents,” Holton said of the current wait-time charge. Under the proposal, that would increase to 50 cents per minute.
The mileage charge applies to trips outside Hartford. Holton said the taxi service uses passengers’ pickup and destination addresses to determine whether an additional charge applies. Passengers are quoted the fare and applicable mileage charge before deciding whether to take the ride.
For example, a trip with a $4.25 standard fare and an additional $1.25 mileage charge currently costs $5.50. Under the proposed increase, that trip would cost $5.75, assuming the same mileage charge applies.
Holton said the proposed changes are the first increases to either the wait-time or outside-city mileage charges.
“Those specific charges have never gone up,” she said, referring to those two fees.
The taxi’s standard fare has been adjusted in the past, with the last increase taking place about two years ago in 2025, according to Holton. She said the service has generally reviewed fare increases on a recurring basis, but the proposed wait-time and mileage adjustments are new.
Holton said the increases are intended to help offset operating expenses, including fuel, while keeping the service affordable for passengers who depend on it.
“We have a high percentage that are in need,” Holton said. “That’s why we’re only going up a quarter.”
She added that Hartford’s charges remain on the lower end of the range allowed under state and federal guidelines.
“The shared-ride taxi is not operated as a money-making service, the actual cost of providing a ride is considerably higher than the fare paid by a passenger,” Holton said.
“The ride itself is only $4.25 currently,” Holton said, adding that it costs more than $16 to provide a ride. Passengers pay only a portion of the total cost, with public funding helping support the service.
Holton said the taxi applies for federal assistance every year. That funding also helps pay for capital purchases, including vehicles. When the service purchases a vehicle, she said, the federal government covers 80% of the cost, while the remaining 20% is paid locally through taxpayer support.
The service recently took delivery of another vehicle, Holton said. Hartford Shared-Ride Taxi operates three vans.
The service provided approximately 600 rides during September, according to Holton.
Click HERE for tonight’s full Hartford common council agenda
Holton said fare increases are never an easy decision, particularly for a service used by people who may not have access to their own vehicles. She said the goal is to cover rising expenses while continuing to provide transportation to residents who rely on the service.
The proposed fare changes will be discussed during the 7 p.m. Hartford Common Council meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Hartford City Hall. The public is welcome to attend.
On a side note:
-Also on the agenda tonight is a resolution creating and setting monthly fees for residential garbage collection services. “After reviewing all costs associated with garbage collection services, it was calculated that the initial monthly fee would be $10.66 per household for this service on a monthly utility bill.” On this resolution, the devil is in the details. According to the executive summary, a new fee will be added to the utility bill while the cost to cover garbage collection will reportedly be removed from the tax levy.
-The council will also review seven pages of proposed fee increases. Details are below. Click the arrow in the lower-left corner to advance the page.
