BELOIT, Wis. (WIFR) – If you take the bus to get around Beloit, you will soon have another route option, and you will potentially pay less to take the bus.
New Route
Beloit Transit System (BTS) will replace Route 5 with a new East-West Route.
The new route will operate every hour between 6 and 9 a.m., 3 and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The route provides a more direct service between dense residential areas and Beloit schools.
The new route will take effect September 2 and will operate year-round.
Reduced Fares, Fare capping
Beloit Transit System introduces a cheaper fare for the men and women who served our country.
Veterans will now pay $0.75 per ride.
Regular fares for the bus will stay at $1.50 per ride. Seniors and those with disabilities will still pay $0.75 per ride.
Students will be able to take the bus for $0.50 per ride.
Along with the new fares comes a cap on how much riders will have to pay for riding the bus. Instead of buying a pass up front, riders pay as they go. Once their payments add up to the cost of a pass, the rest of their rides in that time period are free.
| Category | Base Fare | WisGo Weekly Fare Cap | WisGo Monthly Fare Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | $1.50 | $13.50 | $48 |
| Reduced (seniors 65+, disabeled or veterans) | $0.75 | $6.75 | $24 |
| Students | $0.50 | $4.50 | $16 |
Weekly fare capping is for rides Monday-Saturday and monthly fare capping is for rides in a single calendar month
Fare capping does not apply to the Beloit-Janesville Express route, Blackhawk Tech zone, passes, tokens, or cash fares.
A New Way to Pay
To take advantage of the fare caps, you must have a WisGo card or the Umo mobile app. (Available on Apple and Google Play)
The Umo app takes credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and WisGo cards. Riders will scan their phone screen or WisGo card and the validator will automatically deduct the correct fare amount for each rider.
This new way of paying will take effect September 2.
Students at School District of Beloit, Beloit Turner, and The Lincoln Academy will be able to obtain cards in their school office and add funds at www.umopass.com or at any CVS, Walgreens or Family Dollar stores. New student fare is not available on the app, only through school or BTS issued WisGo pass cards.
Riders can still pay with cash across all routes, but they won’t receive savings from fare capping. Students opting to use cash for reduced student fare will need to present their student ID to the driver.
Throughout the transition period, riders can still use their passes and tokens through December 31, 2025. Fare capping will not apply to those using passes and tokens.
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