Eau Claire Transit Launches New Express Bus Route

Eau Claire Transit has launched a new express bus route seeking to make it easier for unhoused individuals to access available services.

The new express route officially began operating on Monday morning, connecting the Sojourner House overnight homeless shelter to the new Day Resource Center that opened just a few weeks ago. Katrina Running is the Transit Manager for Eau Claire Transit, and shared how the new bus route came to fruition.

“We were asked a couple months ago from the folks at the new day resource center if we could assist them in providing transportation to and from Sojourners to the Day Resource Center,” she said. “So the new express route will do exactly that. So in the morning it will pick folks up at Sojourners and take them to the Day Resource Center to drop them off.”

Running says the goal of the new express bus route is to make it easier for unhoused individuals to access all the services they need, particularly those with mobility issues who can’t just walk between the sites. She also said a little over a dozen people used the new express route the first morning.

The express route will be available on a trial basis through the end of the summer. Eau Claire Transit will monitor ridership on the line and whether it affects service on any other routes. The agency will then determine if the program should continue after the trial period or if they need to adjust it.

“Biggest things are, are people taking the route,” Running said. “So obviously that’s what we hope for all of our routes, just making sure it’s utilized. And the only other thing is making sure that it doesn’t delay any other routes.”

The express bus will arrive at Sojourner House for pickups at around 7:30 a.m. and return to the overnight shelter from the Day Resource Center at around 6:20 p.m. It will run Monday through Friday during the trial period.

Riders will still need to pay the usual bus fare of $1.75, but many could qualify for a free monthly bus pass through Western Dairyland or the Day Resource Center.