Dunn County Transit Sees Record-Setting Ridership, E-Bus Plans Move Forward
Dunn County Transit points to years of strategic improvement efforts, experienced staff support as factors in record high ridership
According to its annual report, Dunn County Transit saw over 8,000 service hours and 95,660 miles traveled – with zero accidents – in 2025, marking the highest annual ridership in its history.
Dunn County Transit primarily operates across three routes: the community route, a fixed-route bus service in Menomonie, the Doorstop/Red Cedar service, and the University of Wisconsin-Stout route.
Each of the three routes saw an increase in ridership between 2024 and 2025; the community route soared, surpassing 2024’s ridership numbers by almost 30%.
Looking further back, the community route’s ridership alone was roughly 3,700 in 2021. In 2025, that number more than quadrupled to 20,660.
Austin Witt, Dunn County Facilities, Parks, and Transit Director, attributed the community route’s growth to several years of strategic improvements stemming back to a major route redesign in 2021.
“The redesign reduced travel times, improved reliability and made the schedule more intuitive for riders by creating a predictable hourly loop,” a recent media release stated. “Witt noted that prior to the redesign, there were days the route would not receive a single rider during eight hours of service.”
Across Dunn County Transit, continued team efforts and strategic improvements supported services overall. Key highlights included ongoing improvements to route signage, expanded use of GPS tracking and real-time updates, larger transit vehicles integrated into daily service and more.
Dunn County Transit launched a rural service pilot program in 2025 as well – offering call-in-advance rides from surrounding rural areas into Menomonie – which saw very little usage. According to the transit report, just one rider utilized the service.
However, as the pilot program is funded by the Aging & Disability Resource Center, the service will continue being offered as an option for riders for the foreseeable future.
Electric Buses Coming Summer 2026
A project years in the works will see the fruits of its labor this summer when electric shuttle buses are delivered to Menomonie.
According to a recent media release, Dunn County Transit expects two shuttle buses to arrive between June and August, with infrastructure already installed and staff training and planning already underway. (The city currently has a total 28 electric vehicle charging stations.)
The arrival of e-buses to Dunn County is a project which stems back to 2018, when an award application was initially submitted to the state Department of Transportation. The award announcement – totaling $470,115 toward two buses – was made in 2019.
The e-bus project – with vehicles provided by PhoenixEV – “experienced significant delays … due to industry-wide challenges,” the annual report explained, leading to delays in the Dunn County project.
In 2025, an updated quote from PhoenixEV reflected an overall increase in price – citing market conditions, higher labor and material expenses, among other things – though the project will move forward, the annual report states.
The fully electric shuttle buses will feature 12 seats, two wheelchair-accessible spaces and two fold-up single seats. Their top speed will be 65 miles per hour, able to travel up to 125 miles per charge.
View the full Dunn County Transit 2025 annual report, beginning p. 39, online • Learn more about Dunn Country Transit online at www.dunncountywi.gov/transit and keep up with services online • View routes and the live GPS tracking online at www.dunnride.com
