Beloit council approves route redesign and cashless fare system with new student and veteran discounts

The Beloit City Council approved major changes to the city—s fixed-route transit service and to its fare structure during an August 2025 meeting, voting to eliminate the existing Gateway route and to adopt a new cashless fare system that includes fare capping and new reduced fares for students and veterans.

Council action: The council approved a resolution adopting near-term route changes, including elimination of the Gateway route and introduction of a new East–West Route 5 designed to improve school connections, and approved a separate resolution to adopt a modern cashless fare system and a fare-capping model. Both items were presented at public hearings and passed on voice votes; detailed tallies were not recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: The changes are intended to shift service to higher-ridership corridors and to reduce barriers to transit for students and low-income riders. Officials said the route change is cost-neutral in the near term and the fare technology was purchased using federal CARES and ARPA funds so the city did not provide local matching dollars for the system upgrades.

What the route changes do: Transit staff said the Gateway route (current Route 5) has averaged about 189 rides per month since it began, compared with roughly 2,000 rides per month on each of the other fixed routes. The Gateway route will be retired and replaced with a new East–West Route 5 that operates as a figure-8 and runs during peak periods (approximately 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) to connect dense residential areas directly to Beloit schools. The new route will operate year-round so students can ride for school and other activities. Transit staff said…