Input sought on proposed Altoona bus expansion to Woodman's and River Prairie
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Joshua Clements | Altoona City Planner
Altoona, Wisconsin. Altoona city staff and Eau Claire Transit officials are working to modify regular bus service in Altoona. Public hearings will be held on February 9th in Altoona and February 15th in Eau Claire. Additional input is sought from citizens regarding route modification options at these hearings. Spurred by growth and citizen requests, the Altoona City Council has budgeted for service expansion and requested route options from transit officials to serve Woodman's and River Prairie.
The City of Altoona and Eau Claire Transit Commission will host a joint public hearing on February 9th at 5:30pm at Altoona City Hall, 1303 Lynn Avenue. An informational Open House will be held beginning at 5:00 for citizens to engage with staff to learn more about the route options. City Planner Joshua Clements and Transit Manager Tom Wagener will present route options and facilitate a discussion at the February 9th Public Hearing. The Altoona City Council will meet immediately following the public hearing to consider a recommendation on the proposed changes.
The Eau Claire Transit Commission will hold a second public hearing on February 15th at 6:00pm at the Eau Claire City Hall. The Commission will then make a recommendation to the Eau Claire City Council on any contract changes with the City of Altoona.
The proposed route modifications are available online at www.eauclairewi.gov/departments/transit/transit-administration and from City staff. Public comments can also be directed to the City of Altoona or Eau Claire Transit.
Altoona is currently serviced by Route 17 which begins at the Eau Claire Transit Center on Farwell Street and loops through the city once each hour. Service in Altoona is limited to stops along Spooner, Lynn, and Bartlett Avenues. Total ridership in Altoona was 6,389 in 2016.
There are two principal Route 17 modifications under consideration. The first would keep Route 17 as a 30-minute, entering the City via River Prairie Drive with a new stop at Woodman's. The bus will continue on a similar loop through Altoona as the present route, travelling as far east as Division Street instead of Third Street. The bus would run once each hour, as the route is paired with another 30-minute route from the Transit Station.
The second option would expand the Route 17 service area to a 45-minute route, which would run once every 75 minutes. More areas of the City would see bus service, with less frequency. Three routes were designed and tested, including options to expand service to Woodman's, Hillcrest Mobile Home Park, the 10th Street and Devney Drive area, and The Classic at Hillcrest Greens.
About Eau Claire Transit
Bus and paratransit service is provided by Eau Claire Transit, a division of the City of Eau Claire. All routes begin and end at the Eau Claire Transit Center and provide service to most of the City. Route maps and fare information are available online at www.eauclairewi.gov/departments/transit.
Click on graphic for printable copy of this release.
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Contact: Joshua Clements | Altoona City Planner | 715-839-6092 | joshuac@ci.altoona.wi.us |
