NEW YEAR, NEW RIDE. Youths through age 18 (or those still in high school) can use Eau Claire Transit for free in 2026, an effort by the City of Eau Claire to boost ridership. Additionally, a new challenge open to the wider public encourages people to submit a promotional transit design, which will be shared with the public after submissions close in mid-February.

As of Jan. 1, kids and teenagers are able to hitch a ride for free through the Eau Claire Transit System, a shift aimed at bolstering ridership among area youths. To complement the fare-free initiative, the City of Eau Claire is also holding a “students ride free promo challenge.”

Student ridership was on the decline prior to COVID-19 shutdowns; today, Eau Claire Transit has seen that trend steadily reverse. Transit Manager Katrina Running said over 25,000 rides were given to K-12 students in 2025, up from 22,000 the year prior.

Now, youths k-12 can board Eau Claire buses for free (preschool-aged kids must be accompanied by a paying adult), utilizing any of its routes. High school-aged students must show a student ID or ID with their age on it.

Youths account for roughly 3% of annual ridership, as the whole system provides over 700,000 rides per year, Transit Manager Katrina Running said.

In just the first few weeks of 2026, Running said they are seeing larger groups of students along its routes depending on the day and time (for example, the Delong Middle School express route has become busier in the evenings). During the first week of January last year, Transit averaged about 91 K-12 students per day. In the first week of 2026, the average was about 120 students per day. 

Eau Claire Transit routes map. (Learn more about routes online)

“It’s our hope that helping young people take our buses will cultivate a new generation of transit enthusiasts, reduce transportation costs for households and/or relieve parents/guardians of the time it takes to transport kids,” City Manager Stephanie Hirsch stated.

Another option for first-time riders is the Transit Ambassador program, which connects them with a volunteer who will help them learn the ins and outs of riding Eau Claire Transit.

Current transit fare pricing ranges from $0.85 (for those with income qualifications) to $1.75 per adult, per ride. (A day pass is $3.75; a book of three tickets is $4; monthly passes range from $25-$50; UW-Eau Claire students and faculty ride for free, among other options.)

 

Hirsch noted the revenue lost by providing area youths with free transit is “very low” and will not greatly affect the City of Eau Claire’s budget. Youths account for roughly 3% of annual ridership, as the whole system provides over 700,000 rides per year, Running added.

In its continued effort to encourage community transit use, the city kicked off its “students ride free promo challenge” on Jan. 9. The challenge? Create an image or video that promotes transit use and submit it online for review.

All submissions – “assuming they are appropriate for public viewing,” the city notes – will be broadcasted to the public, who will also determine the challenge winner. The winner will earn a prize, while all other participants will be put into an additional prize drawing.

Running encourages folks to contact City Transit or use Google Maps to plan their nearest stop and plan trips. “Many schools have different route options depending on the desired arrival time,” Running noted. “Some people may like getting to school 20 minutes early whereas others are comfortable with a three-minute buffer.”

To help with route navigation and timing, the city also has a live bus tracker on its website (Running noted Transit is currently working to improve access to North Star Middle School, though Northern Lite serves the North Star and North High areas).

Have some tips or thoughts on how to improve Eau Claire Transit? Shoot the team an email at transit@eauclairewi.gov.

Not sure how, exactly, to ride the Eau Claire buses? Check out this rundown and FAQ from the City of Eau Claire. Additional transit route information can be found online.