Two tavern owners in a Wisconsin town have began offering a fun and safe transportation option for Heart of the Valley residents heading out for nights on the town.
Tavern owners Brian and Rick Schuh introduced the Road Crew drunken-driving prevention program after securing a $35,000 grant from the Wisconsin State Patrol's Bureau of Transportation Safety.
Brian Schuh owns Little Chute's Pine Street Bar. His father, Rick Schuh, owns the Schuh Shanty Bar and Grill in Kaukauna. On Thursday through Saturday nights, a bar patron can be picked up at home by limousine, taken to taverns throughout their service area and returned home later that night. It costs $20 per person and $30 per couple. One-way rides are offered for half the cost. They'll also bring the baby sitter home once the night is through. Road Crew has given more than 2,700 rides since its debut.
Early successes led organizers to expand the program to Thursday nights. While organizers are pleased by their progress, the program still faces some significant challenges. Lykke Jome-Weigman, director of the program, said Road Crew used up its grant funding and organizers are in the process of finding additional sponsors to keep their limousines rolling.
Organizers are also hoping the always busy holiday season will help them build a bigger customer base. "We're hoping people will use it more frequently," she said.
Jome-Weigman said they still get a number of riders trying the program for the first time. Their customer base has primarily been those 28 and older, though they've also had many younger riders.
Vanessa Arellano Doctor
http://miamilimo.biz