EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The City of Eau Claire is announcing a new Transit opportunity for 2026.

According to the Eau Claire City Manager’s weekly report, as part of next year’s budget, they have funded free rides for children 18 and under (plus young adults enrolled in High School.)

This new policy will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.

The report provides the following information regarding the new policy:

• Who can ride for free? Any young person (or young adult who is still enrolled in high school) can ride for free.
• Do children need to show some kind of pass? Younger children can board without showing a pass or ID, while high school students will be asked to show a student ID.
• What routes serve Eau Claire Area Schools? All ECASD high schools and middle schools (as well as Altoona) can be reached by a Transit route. Both DeLong and North have “express” routes that primarily serve students at those two schools.
• Does this policy cover the Northern Lite service as well? During its pilot period, through the summer of 2026, Northern Lite will also be free for young people. Children ages 13 and up can ride on their own. More information is here: Northern Lite | On-demand shared rides around Eau Claire
• Can youth ride anywhere, or just to school? They can ride anywhere! The new policy is effectively a revision of our current age-based fare policy. (Currently, children over pre-school age need to pay… As of January 1st, children of all ages will ride for free.)
• What’s the cost for adults riding with children or youth? Adults will pay their fares, while children will be free.

https://www.weau.com/2025/12/15/eau-claire-transit-offer-free-rides-children-2026/