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Transit commission opens hearing and approves modest monthly fare increases; paper transfers for cash to be eliminated
Summary
The Waukesha City Transit Commission approved a resolution to raise monthly fare caps (adult monthly cap to $53; youth to $33; senior to $38) and to end issuance of physical transfers for cash payers, citing Wisco account-based cards and aging fareboxes; changes take effect Jan. 1.
The Waukesha City Transit Commission voted to revise its fare tariff to implement modest increases in monthly fare caps and to eliminate paper transfers for cash payers, actions staff said are made possible by the system’s move to the Wisco account-based fare platform.
At a public hearing on the proposal, a staff presenter said the adult monthly fare cap would increase by $3 — from $50 to $53 — and that youth and senior monthly caps would each rise by $1, to $33 and $38 respectively. Staff noted this would be the commission’s first fare increase since January 2020 and said bus fare revenue has declined in recent years.
The presenter told commissioners the transit system now issues electronic transfers automatically to Wisco card and UMO app users when a passenger first boards, which reduces the need to continue issuing physical paper transfers to cash payers. Staff also warned that the commission’s current fare boxes are at end of life and that manufacturer support is expected to end in 2025; replacing fare boxes with units that support paper-transfer issuance could be a roughly $500,000 capital project.
Commission discussion touched on equity considerations for riders who rely on cash and on how local nonprofit partners can purchase and load Wisco cards for clients. A resident asked whether voucher programs used by shelters and nonprofits could align with Wisco; staff said nonprofits can buy and set up cards or the department can arrange invoicing for agency purchases.
The commission adopted the resolution to revise fare tariff 26 to create fare tariff 27 by voice vote. The resolution, if enacted as presented, implements the Jan. 1 fare changes and the policy to eliminate issuing physical transfers to cash payers.
What happens next: The commission’s action puts the tariff revision in place; staff said some technical and customer-outreach steps remain as the system transitions riders to Wisco and the UMO app. The commission did not record any abstentions or opposing votes on the motion.
