"Say today is a beautiful day out and I wanted to go window shopping or just visit a friend, I mean, I'm stuck here," Weston resident Virginia Korleski said.
Korleski and her boyfriend, Danny, have been spending most of their days inside since the new year.
"Basically I'm sitting at home not doing a doggone thing," she said.
Korleski used to come to the Pick 'n Save just two blocks from her apartment to catch the bus. But just like the 33 other stops on the Weston Route K, that one is no longer there. With budgets tighter than ever, the Village of Weston was forced to cut its only bus line beginning in 2012.
"I don't think there's anybody on the Village Board that says it wouldn't be nice to have the bus," said Wausau attorney Richard Weber, who is representing the Village. "It just is one of those things we can't afford."
This fall, riders and supporters collected enough signatures to put their transportation referendum on the spring ballot, so voters could decide whether or not to keep the service. But in December, the board changed its mind, saying it wouldn't allow it.
"The law says once the board makes a decision on an issue before a referendum is requested, then they can't usurp the power of the board by reversing the prior decision," Weber said.
For residents like Korleski, who is visually impaired, and her boyfriend, who has seizures so he can't drive, that means they now have to find a new way to get around.
"It's gonna cost a pretty penny to take a cab everywhere," Korleski said. "If I want to plan something I have to plan it in advance. It affects me a lot."
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