Last updated: September 2026
The Price County Transportation Coordinating Committee learned on August 17 that the county’s bus system is set to lose roughly a quarter of its federal money if the U.S. Senate does not renew a $38 billion state transportation fund.
The county is budgeted for $1.16 million in federal transit funding in 2026. Without renewal, that number falls back to 2021 levels of about $876,000.
Quick Answer: Price County’s transit program is budgeted for $1.16 million in federal funding in 2026 and faces a roughly 25% decrease if a $38 billion state transportation fund is not renewed, the Transportation Coordinating Committee was told on August 17. Staff are asking Phillips and Park Falls for $13,500 each and Butternut and Fifield for $1,500 each. Ridership is down in Park Falls and Phillips, and the system is replacing bus windshields faster in Price County than anywhere else it operates.
What is at stake in the federal budget?
Staff walked the committee through the numbers plainly. In 2021 the county received about $876,000 in federal transit funding. For 2026 it is set to receive about $1.16 million. If the Senate does not renew the $38 billion state transportation fund, the county reverts to the older baseline.
The county is not fighting it alone. Staff said a letter has been prepared, joined by transit systems across Wisconsin and the country, through the Wisconsin Public Transit Association and the American Public Transportation Association, asking that the cuts not proceed. Emails went to partners urging the same.
Staff framed the local consequence directly: either the service changes or the county finds the money elsewhere.
Why the county asks municipalities to pay
The transit program is funded by a transportation grant of roughly $85,000 a year, which staff said is used almost entirely to support the BART bus. Municipal contributions cover the rest of the local share.
The committee reviewed this year’s requests. Staff told the committee Phillips and Park Falls are each being asked for roughly $13,500, up from about $13,000 last year. Butternut is being asked for roughly $1,500 after the county missed that town’s budget cycle last year. Fifield contributed last year and will be asked for a similar amount, earlier this time so it can be budgeted.
Staff said the county will also approach the towns of Eisenstein Lake and Flambeau. The reasoning is structural: the county board has been clear that a service not used by all residents should not be carried on the general levy, because that would mean Prentice residents paying for a route they cannot easily reach. So the county asks the municipalities that benefit directly.
The county is also working through remaining ARPA funds allocated for buses, which must be spent by the end of the year.
Is ridership holding up?
Not everywhere, and staff could not fully explain it.
Park Falls ridership is down about 300 trips through July compared with the same period last year. Phillips is down about 750 trips through July compared with 2024, though still above 2023 levels. Staff said medical and employment trips appear to be the softest categories.
The one route that was flagged as busy, the Phillips-to-Minocqua run, does about 320 miles a day. Year to date it has logged nearly 57,500 miles, while Park Falls and Phillips each show roughly 25,000 and 23,500 miles.
Summertime should bring a bump. The system offers free rides to anyone 17 and under, aimed at swim practices, sports practices, and events. Staff said the program is advertised through the schools and by email to parents. The youth are not riding in the numbers expected.
A committee member asked whether ridership reports track repeat passengers, and whether most riders are the same people week over week. Staff said many regulars are consistent riders but could not give a percentage, and offered to pull the figures.
Staff said the plan is more advertising, particularly in Park Falls.
Why is the county replacing so many windshields?
This came up as an operational cost, and it turned into the meeting’s most specific complaint.
Staff said the system replaces more bus windshields in Price County than everywhere else it operates combined. One windshield on the Minocqua bus was replaced and broke again two weeks later. It was broken again at the time of the meeting.
The working theory is the weather. Without rain, roads do not get cleaned off, so gravel and pebbles that would normally wash away stay in the travel lanes. Staff said the problem has persisted since the beginning of the service on the highway toward Minocqua.
What about accessible buses?
The committee’s newest member, Susan Stanky, attending her first meeting, asked about the cost of a bus for passengers using wheelchairs.
Staff laid out the tradeoff. There are two designs. One has a flat floor so a passenger rolls straight in and does not need a wide door. The other has steps and a large door. The flat-entry models are considerably more expensive. The step-up models with big doors lose heat badly in winter, which gets worse with electric buses, where keeping the cabin warm is already difficult.
Staff also described a program aimed at people who are uneasy about riding at all. A mobility manager named Todd does travel training: he meets a person, explains how the system works, helps schedule a ride, and rides with them to demonstrate it. Staff encouraged anyone who knows a would-be rider with concerns to make contact.
What else did the committee do?
The committee approved the minutes of its April 6 meeting. On membership, staff confirmed the committee is full, with a health and human services director, a county board member, the senior services manager, and Stanky as the newest addition. Patricia Stephen was not heard from, and Sarah Reese Soha joined late online. A quorum was present.
Fares and hours of operation were reviewed with no changes proposed. Staff said both are adequate.
The next meeting is November 16.
Frequently asked questions
How much federal funding is Price County losing for transit?
The county is budgeted for about $1.16 million in 2026. If a $38 billion state transportation fund is not renewed by the U.S. Senate, funding returns to roughly 2021 levels of $876,000, about a 25% decrease.
How much are Price County municipalities asked to contribute to the bus system?
Phillips and Park Falls are each being asked for roughly $13,500, up from about $13,000 last year. Butternut and Fifield are each being asked for roughly $1,500. The county plans to approach the towns of Eisenstein Lake and Flambeau as well.
Why is bus ridership down in Park Falls?
Staff said they do not know. Park Falls is down about 300 trips through July compared with last year. Medical and employment trips appear soft. The county plans more advertising to rebuild ridership.
Does the BART bus offer help for riders who are nervous about using it?
Yes. A mobility manager provides travel training, meeting a new rider, explaining the system, helping schedule a trip, and riding along to show how it works.
When is the next Price County Transportation Coordinating Committee meeting?
November 16, 2026.
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