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 portions of the Gateway area will continue to be served by the Walmart route (Route 3) through the end of the year; the area also is a candidate for future microtransit service as identified in the system—s transit development plan (TDP).

What the fare changes do: The council approved a switch from a cash-only fare collection model to a modern account-based cashless system (branded in the presentation as "Wisco" and running on the UMO platform). Key elements included: - No increase to the base cash fare (remains $1.50). Existing reduced fare (senior/disabled) stays unchanged. Two new reduced categories were added: veterans at 75¢ and students at 50¢. - Fare capping: automatic caps will limit costs to a fixed maximum per rider — the staff report sets caps for fare-capping purposes at 9 paid rides per week and 32 paid rides per month. Fare capping applies only when riders use the Wisco/UMO account-based system (card or mobile app); riders paying cash will still be accepted but cannot accumulate toward the cap. - Elimination of free transfers as part of the new fare rules. - A transition window will accept existing passes and tokens through Dec. 31, 2025; the system is scheduled for a soft launch Aug. 25, 2025, with public use going live on Sept. 2, 2025, the start of the school year.

Technology and procurement: Staff said phase 1 upgrades (automatic stop announcements, interior LED signage, real-time GPS tracking, automatic passenger counters) were already installed using a vendor presented at a prior meeting. Phase 2 implements the account-based fare product through the regional arrangement that Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) procured. MCTS— competitive procurement and technical work were described as enabling Beloit to join an existing regional fare network without issuing a separate RFP; presenters said this approach is permissible under Federal Transit Administration rules for projects funded with federal transit funds. City staff said the technology acquisition and initial implementation are fully funded by federal CARES and ARPA dollars, with ongoing annual fees for the service.

Student cards and issuance: Under the rollout plan, schools will issue student fare cards directly to pupils. Staff described a process for the schools to distribute free student cards (marked with a visible red band so drivers can identify student fares), to provide handouts and QR-code instructions in English and Spanish, and to work with the city to toggle cards to student status for returning pupils after expiration. Council members asked for communications support; staff said the city—s strategic communications director has coordinated print materials and social media and met with the school district and individual schools.

Public outreach and next steps: Transit staff said the proposed route changes were part of a Transit Development Plan developed with consulting firm AECOM and public outreach; the route changes and the fare changes were published for a 30-day comment period that concluded at the meeting. Staff said longer-term recommendations (microtransit, express studies and zero-emission bus planning) are part of mid- and long-term TDP actions and will be considered separately.

Quotes: "We are confident that there'll be very little impact on the ridership for that route and that there'll be a way for people to still get to where they need to go," said Terry, a Beloit transit staff member presenting the route changes. Tai Hua, fare-collection system manager for Milwaukee County Transit System, summarized the regional work: "All the hard work...has already been done by Milwaukee County Transit System. So Beloit will get joined the network and get going in no time." David Roman, an implementation partner for the UMO product, described the user experience for riders: "UMO allows you to select the best payment method for your lifestyle...You can use the UMO mobile app or reloadable card."

Implementation dates and unresolved details: Staff set a soft launch for Aug. 25, 2025 (card/account activation and testing) and a public go-live for Sept. 2, 2025. The Gateway area will continue to have partial coverage via Route 3 through the end of the year; future coverage (microtransit or other) will be considered after the TDP and related regional studies are completed. The meeting transcript does not record exact vote tallies, only voice approval. Several fare-cap numeric examples mentioned during the presentation (weekly/monthly dollar limits per passenger category) were presented orally and in accompanying graphics; where the transcript or on-screen displays conflicted or were unclear, the council record did not include explicit numeric roll-call tallies beyond the caps of 9 paid rides per week and 32 paid rides per month used for capping.

Ending: Councilors who spoke during the discussion praised the focus on student access and the data-driven approach; staff said they would begin public communications immediately after council approval and continue coordination with schools, the county transit agency and vendor partners.