City contribution keeps GO Riteway’s rides affordable

MARINETTE – GO Riteway is making a new name for itself in Marinette, where Westlund used to be a main player in the school bus and taxi routes.

Oak Creek-based GO Riteway, owned by the Bast family, acquired Westlund Bus Lines from Tom Westlund in August, as he wished to retire, said Amy Schram, communications manager.

“Many people in the industry know each other, and Ron Bast, one of GO Riteway’s owners and Tom had developed a great relationship over the years. Tom was looking for a strong family company who shared his values and would treat his customers and employees with the same care he had. GO Riteway felt it was a good match and agreed to the purchase,” Schram said.

GO Riteway held an open house to introduce itself to the Marinette community on April 9. “We had a very nice time. It started off with the Marinette High School band doing a presentation. It was a perfect way to start,” said Larry Cisewski, commercial services manager in Marinette.

GO Riteway was started in 1957 “when Rollie and Pearl Bast founded Riteway Bus Service Inc. with four school buses in the newly created Germantown School District,” Schram said.

The family’s fourth generation is running the company today.

GO Riteway President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Zanotti spoke at the event, and Co-Owner and Vice Chair Wendy Bast welcomed the community.

The Marinette Menominee Chamber of Commerce presented the company with an award for its involvement in the area’s transportation.

For $5, people in Marinette can get around town in a shared-ride taxi. If you’re in Peshtigo, GO Riteway will charge an extra $5 for the taxi ride because the City of Marinette subsidizes its shared-ride service, the company said.
“It’s a Marinette-funded program, so the City of Marinette is the focus of availability,” Cisewski explained.

GO Riteway’s taxi rides also are available in Menominee, Mich. If you start and end in Menominee, a round-trip ride costs $15 instead of $10, as the company charges a stateline fee. From Marinette to Menominee, it charges the regular $5 fare, Cisewski said.

Years ago, when the transportation program was started with the City of Marinette, bus service was discussed, but taxi service is more economical. “We pick up at everyone’s addresses. Buses wouldn’t be at a person’s home,” he explained. For convenience, the company offers 10-ride passes for $50 or $40 for seniors and people with disabilities. GO Riteway’s taxi service will transport people of all ages and abilities in Marinette and Peshtigo.

Last fall, the City of Marinette Transportation Coordination Committee agreed to assure up to $95,000 for the 2025 Shared-Ride Taxi Program. Go Riteway submitted the lowest bid of about $40 an hour, according to meeting minutes.

“It’s been a long-term contract. It is a shared ride program. It’s federal, state and city funded. It helps to keep the fares low,” said Dan Anderson, operations manager.

With the Westlund acquisition, GO Riteway also assumed the Marinette School District’s transportation program. It involves transporting 700 students to Marinette schools, Anderson said.

While the company kept on about 90 Westlund employees, including 30 school bus drivers, it has openings for part-time school bus drivers, Schram added.

Private rides to the airport are available for about $90. Single-day tours, which vary by destination and price, include trips to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Meyer Theatre in Green Bay, the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Suamico and Brewers Games three times a year at Miller Stadium in Milwaukee.

For those seeking a bit more adventure, GO Riteway offers single-day and multi-day tours. A nine-day tour of Cape Cod runs about $2,000 for double occupancy, meals and entrance fees. An 11-day tour to northern New England in the fall costs $3,000 for double occupancy, including meals and entrance fees.

The State of Wisconsin provides transportation grants to various agencies and nonprofits providing or administering transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities. Some of the money stems from federal dollars.

In Oconto County, Newcap received a 2025 $73,082 mobility transportation grant with a $18,271 from the State of Wisconsin to support its Mobility Manager/One Call Center, which is “responsible for outreach, marketing and coordination of elderly and disabled transportation services for not only Newcap, but also promotion of the partner/outside transit service,” said Carrie Hill, executive vice president of community success services at Newcap. The nonprofit serves Marinette, Oconto, Florence, Brown, Shawano, Forest, Langlade, Oneida and Vilas counties.

The funds will allow Newcap to reach a projected 350 people in person and 450 people through telephone referrals and online services, Hill said.

When people call with a request for transportation, Newcap refers them to transportation providers it works with in their area, Hill said. Each partner has a niche in the overall transportation provided, she added.