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Eau Claire Transit

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Eau Claire Transit
Eau Claire Transit buses at the temporary downtown transit center in June 2023
ParentCity of Eau Claire
Headquarters910 Forest Street
LocaleEau Claire, Wisconsin
Service areaEau Claire County, Wisconsin
Service typeBus Service, Paratransit (contracted)
HubsEau Claire Transit Center, Centennial Hall, Davies Center
Fleet22[1]
Annual ridership672, 882 (2023)[2]
Fuel typeBiodiesel, Hybrid diesel-electric
General ManagerKatrina Running
Websiteecbus.org

Eau Claire Transit is a mass transportation provider in the Eau Claire, Wisconsin metropolitan area. The system consists of fifteen core routes and primarily serves the cities of Eau Claire and Altoona. Service frequency varies from thirty minutes to one hour depending on the route and time of day. There is no service on Sundays or Saturday evenings.

An Eau Claire Transit bus in 2018

History

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The history of transit in the city began in 1879 when the first horse-drawn trolleys operated by the Eau Claire City Railway Co. began service. Eau Claire was the third city in Wisconsin to adopt the method of transport. The city was also one of the first in the United States to adopt the use of electric-powered trolleys in the 1880s, and the first in the country to heat trolley cars using electricity, a development influenced by the state's climate.[3]

However, the system started to decline by the mid-1920s and the first buses started replacing the streetcar lines in 1930. Three years later, buses had completely replaced the trolley network and the rail lines were abandoned. This transition was an early example of what would become a broader trend across the nation, where buses were viewed as a more financially prudent option compared to the fixed routes and infrastructure required for trolleys.[4] Near the end of the decade, due to financial difficulties, the city sold the network to an area investor and was operated as Eau Claire Transportation Co. The company would continue to run the regions transit system for the next several decades until the mid 1970s when it was sold back to the city and renamed Eau Claire Transit.[5][6]

In 1985, the city built a transit center in the downtown area, which was intended to be a temporary location until a permanent transit center could be constructed. The temporary center would last for over 36 years.[7] In the fall of 2021, construction of a new transit center began on the same site as the temporary 1985 transit center. The transit center opened in September 2025 after numerous construction delays.[8][9]

Routes

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The Eau Claire Transit Center located in the downtown area is the beginning and end point for the majority of the bus routes. The only routes that do not layover at the center are those that directly serve the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. One of the main features of the bus system is the interlining of routes, which means that the same bus can serve different routes at different times. For instance, the bus that runs on route 2 becomes route 12 (and vice versa) after stopping at the Transit Center at :15 and :45 minutes past each hour. Similarly, route 5 and route 15 share the same bus, as well as several other route pairs. However, not all routes interline with another one as some of the longer routes have a lower frequency and layover at the Transit Center once per hour.[10]

Core routes

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No. Route name Major Streets[note 1] Notes
1 Margaret & Mall Margaret St, Rudolph Rd, Fairfax St, London Rd, E. Hamilton Ave, Commonwealth Ave, Gateway Dr
2 Mt. Washington Water St, Menomonie St, Ferry St, Crescent Ave,
3 North High Putnam St, Birch St, Starr Ave, Western Ave, Runway Ave, Eddy Ln, Piedmont Rd Airport service, Weekdays only
4 Locust Lane Forest St, Birch St, River Prairie Dr, Seymour Rd, Hastings Way, Abby Hill Dr, Locust Ln Weekdays only
3/4 North High - Locust Lane Forest St, Birch St, Starr Ave, Western Ave, Eddy Ln, Runway Ave, Locust Ln, Abby Hill Dr, Hastings Way Evenings & Saturdays only
5 Rudolph Rd Harding Ave, Rudolph Rd, Golf Rd, London Rd
6 Putnam Heights & Mall E. Hamilton Ave, Fairfax St, Golf Rd, Bullis Farm Rd, Keystone Xing, Gateway Dr, London Rd, Skeels Ave No evening service
7 West Clairemont W. Clairemont Ave, Oak Ridge Dr, Craig Rd, Menomonie St, Water St Limited evening service
8 Folsom & Vine Madison St, 3rd St, Truax Blvd, Folsom St, Moholt Dr, Vine St, Oxford Ave
12 Delong Oxford Ave, Madison St, Vine St, Cameron St, Whipple St, 5th Ave
15 West MacArthur W. MacArthur Ave, Stein Blvd, Eldorado Blvd, W. Hamilton Ave
17 Altoona Galloway St, River Prairie Dr, Oak Leaf Way, 10th St, Bartlett Ave, Division St, Spooner Ave, Margaret St No evening service
18 Memorial High Highland Ave, Fenwick Ave, Fairfax St, E. Clairemont Ave, Keith St, Brackett Ave, Margaret St
20 Westridge Center Madison St, Cameron St, Vine St, Folsom St, Moholt Dr, Whipple St, 5th Ave No evening service
21 Shopko Plaza W. MacArthur Ave, Eldorado Blvd, Craig Rd, International Dr, Sky Park Blvd, W. Hamilton Ave No evening service
  1. ^ Sections of roads with more than two concurrent routes near the downtown area are generally omitted for conciseness.

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire routes

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The routes serving the UWEC campus area are primarily funded and designed by the University. Buses serving the campus layover in front of the Davies Center or Centennial Hall every 15–30 minutes, rather than at the Transit Center. Route 9 does stop briefly at the Transit Center to enable direct transfers with the main network.[11] These routes do not run during summer recess and have reduced service during winter break; there is no service on weekends or holidays. All Eau Claire Transit bus routes are free to UWEC students and faculty:[12]

  • 19 UWEC Upper Campus (Stein Blvd, various student housing, CVTC, Bollinger Fields, and Sonnentag Center)
ECT bus stop sign

Express routes

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The agency operates two express routes that offer limited service on days when the Eau Claire Area School District is in session. These routes also provide commuter service to other public entities.[13]

Eau Claire Transit also partners with various community groups to provide two free "Pool Express" routes on weekday afternoons during the summer.[14]

Eau Claire Transit Center

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Until 2021, Eau Claire Transit had been operating out of a 1985 transit center, which had been planned as a temporary location until a permanent transit center could be built. However, this arrangement lasted for 36 years. In 2018, the city was awarded a $5 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for the project by the US Department of Transportation.[15][16]

The new transit center began construction on September 17, 2021, on the same site as the temporary facility built in 1985. To provide a transfer point during construction, a temporary facility was established at South Farwell Street and Gray Street, just east of the site, in a surface parking lot. The temporary facility opened on September 2, 2021, and was originally scheduled to remain in use until winter 2023, but its closure was delayed until fall 2025. Both the temporary site and the new transit center include dedicated bus bays for each route, a first for Eau Claire.[15]

The new transit center will feature restrooms, a climate controlled lobby, a manned ticket kiosk, and offices for transit staff and law enforcement. Above the center, the mixed-use development incorporates a parking garage and residential units. Around 40 of the 88 units are planned as workforce housing, meaning the rent will be considered affordable for those making between 80%–100% of the median income in the county. The city initially partnered with Merge Urban Development Group for the project. However, the developer withdrew in late 2021. The development was subsequently taken over by Impact Seven, a Rice Lake based nonprofit that specializes in affordable housing. Due to this change, rents will remain below the area median income, though will no longer be eligible for subsidies.[17][18][19][20][21]

The transit portion of the project was scheduled to be complete in early 2023, however due to funding and construction delays it wasn't finished until late September 2025.[22] Due to the high construction costs in 2021 and 2022, city contributed $9.55 million to the project instead of the original $1.25 million. An estimate from 2019 had estimated the value of the project at $23.5 million.[23][24][25]

Ridership

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Ridership Change over previous year
2013[26] 1,072,123 n/a
2014[27] 1,043,917 Decrease2.63%
2015[28] 940,074 Decrease9.95%
2016[29] 937,560 Decrease0.27%
2017[30] 928,515 Decrease0.96%
2018[31] 964,748 Increase3.9%
2019[32] 913,567 Decrease5.31%
2020[33] 458,780 Decrease49.78%
2021[34] 458,980 Increase0.04%
2022[35] 586,437 Increase27.77%
2023[36] 672,882 Increase14.74%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Services". Eau Claire Transit Department. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  2. ^ Fristed, Sam (January 19, 2024). "Eau Claire transit sees strong year with ridership on the rise". WQOW TV. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  3. ^ Hollars, B. J. (August 24, 2023). "All Aboard!". Volume One. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "Mass transportation in Wisconsin". Wisconsin Historical Society. August 3, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "Eau Claire Transportation Company Letterhead - Print". Wisconsin Historical Society. December 1, 2003. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "How Student Transit Began Their Journey". www.student-transit.com. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Hagmann, Taylor (October 16, 2019). "Construction on a new transfer center could begin next summer". The Spectator. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Giffey, Tom (December 27, 2022). "Deal Near on Housing Above Transit Center, City Says". Volume One. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Staff, WEAU (September 29, 2025). "New City of Eau Claire Transfer Center officially opens". Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  10. ^ "Maps, Trip Planning & Schedules - City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin". www.eauclairewi.gov. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  11. ^ "UWEC Routes". www.eauclairewi.gov. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "Buses and Shuttles". www.uwec.edu. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  13. ^ "Express Routes". www.eauclairewi.gov. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  14. ^ "Pool Express Routes". City of Eau Claire - Transit. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  15. ^ a b Stapleton, Leeann (September 18, 2021). "Groundbreaking ceremony held for new Eau Claire transit center". WEAU TV. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  16. ^ Giffey, Tom (October 11, 2021). "Topping It Off: New Downtown Transit Center's Private Component Yet to Be Finalized". Volume One. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  17. ^ "New Downtown Bus Transfer Center to Open Monday!". City of Eau Claire. September 24, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  18. ^ "Construction to begin on housing above new transit center". WEAU. June 3, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  19. ^ "City Council Agenda, Feb 21, 2022". City of Eau Claire. February 21, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  20. ^ "Eau Claire City Council approves housing agreement". WEAU. February 28, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  21. ^ "Ongoing Projects — Transit Center". Eau Claire Development Authority. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  22. ^ Fristed, Sam (September 29, 2025). "New Eau Claire transfer center opens downtown after delays and anticipation". WQOW. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
  23. ^ Berge, Clint (September 1, 2021). "Temporary bus transfer center opening Thursday in Eau Claire". WQOW TV. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  24. ^ Dowd, Andrew (March 22, 2022). "Council OKs millions more for transfer center". Leader-Telegram. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  25. ^ Walleser, Melanie (September 6, 2023). "Eau Claire Transit to move services to new transfer center in August 2024". WQOW TV. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  26. ^ "2013 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  27. ^ "2014 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  28. ^ "2015 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  29. ^ "2016 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  30. ^ "2017 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  31. ^ "2018 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  32. ^ "2019 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  33. ^ "2020 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  34. ^ "2021 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  35. ^ "2022 Annual Agency Profile" (PDF).
  36. ^ "National Transit Database". Retrieved March 25, 2024.
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