Gov. Scott Walker announced last month that 52 agencies in Wisconsin’s urban and rural areas will receive awards of about $4.543 million in state and federal funds to enhance and support local transportation options for Wisconsin seniors and individuals with disabilities.

The state Department of Transportation administers the program, which helps local public agencies and private non-profits to provide transportation services for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Such services include mobility management, operating assistance and vehicle purchases, the announcement said.

The state’s four large urbanized areas – Appleton, Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee – administer the covered services for their geographic areas in conjunction with WisDOT, while the state agency handles it for rural and smaller urban areas.

The grants will fund 80 percent of the cost for 53 vehicles to either replace existing ones or expand service. WisDOT said it holds active contracts with several vendors for minivans, minibuses and medium-sized or large buses.

“In addition,” it continued, “approved projects for 2017 include funding for 12 mobility management projects to help coordinate transportation services, increase transportation capacity and connect individuals with transportation services” in their geographic service areas.

Since it began in Wisconsin in the mid-1970s, the program has helped fund purchase of more than 2,228 vehicles, the department said.