MENOMONIE (WQOW) - After changing some routes, the Dunn County Public Bus Transit System is taking more people across town.

In fact, 2023 marked the highest amount of bus riders on Dunn County's public transit.

The county's transit manager Austin Witt said one of the reasons is because they added a stop to the UW-Stout bus route. It now runs from the college campus to the Walmart area in north Menomonie once an hour in the evening.

"We had 126,000 riders in 2023," Witt said. "Seeing that increase and having the best year ever was great to see."

The general community route also experienced a jump.

In the past, so few people rode that route that it was more efficient to provide the rides free, since it would cost more to count the fares than what the fares brought in.

The department shortened the community route to make it an hour, and they removed a few stops. This resulted in a large increase. Monday through Friday ridership went up 62% from 2022 to 2023, and Saturday ridership went up 81% in that time.

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