Last September, Eau Claire Transit Commission provided a bus route connecting Eau Claire and Menomonie – a joint effort with Dunn County Transit, Jefferson Lines and Greyhound Lines.

But this service is now obsolete after Dunn County Transit built a route which goes to the Eau Claire Transit transfer station directly. Eau Claire Transit Manager Mike  Branco said the move has created problems for ECTC.

The route in jeopardy is the E-12. It stops at the Westridge Center, Alpine Road, Menards and the Chippewa Valley Technical College’s west campus.

Branco said while ridership has been down, there are people who use the E-12 route for reasons other than connecting to Dunn County.

“There are riders who rely on this route to help them get around the west side of town,” Branco said. “We may end up just taking out the Dunn County connection stop from the route.”

UW-Stout sophomore Adam Wendt said the change is an improvement to the E-12 route.

“I like the new route more, it makes the trip go by quicker,” Wendt said. “Sometimes there would be a delay at the connection point, and that’s no concern now.”

Wendt, an Eau Claire native, said the direct route is more convenient when riding to connect with friends in town. But the E-12 route has benefits, he said.

“I do like the E-12 route because of the stops by Menards and the tech’s west campus,” Wendt said. “It makes it easier to reach my parent’s house that way.”

Kent Conklin, the transit director of the Dunn County Transit Commission, said the new route was created for the convenience.

“Changing the Eau Claire connection from McDonald’s to the transfer station has helped our riders,” Conklin said. “The transfer station is a more central location and offers better connections with other routes.”

Despite the added distance, Conklin said the route is presently economically sustainable.

Branco said he will discuss the route’s future at a public hearing held by ECTC on March 26.

“We’ll be presenting a lot of options of what we can do with this excess of hours if we cancel E-12,” Branco said. “First we’ll be presenting a vote to cancel or continue the route.”

Branco said ideas have been internally discussed and may be considered when assessing the potential open hours.

A Carson Park route could be in the works, but the ECTC is not prepared to extend a route through Chippewa Falls.

Branco said the vote on what new route would replace the E-12 would most likely come in April.