Northern Lite
Northern Lite was a project designed to improve transit accessibility within central Eau Claire and improve connectivity between Downtown Eau Claire and bus routes extending into surrounding suburbs
Client Context
Eau Claire transit was operating an inefficient, expensive bus service and struggling to keep up with changing rider behavior. Changes in commuter traffic patterns due to new development made existing bus routes unattractive to prospective riders. Over time, decreased ridership led to high per-rider costs on many of their bus routes. This issue was difficult to remedy without an expensive overhaul of their entire transit network.
In 2025, the Eau Claire city council approved a microtransit service to supplement its existing transit offerings.
Project Overview
The project's deliverables included a consumer mobile app paired with a 4-vehicle microtransit serving downtown Eau Claire. Service vehicles were hybrid-powered, in line with best sustainability practices, and the fleet consisted of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles to ensure transit access for riders with disabilities.
Unique Factors / Challenges
Unique factors of the project included additional regulatory efforts required for the local airport and changes to operational best practices.
The service zone encompassed Eau Claire's regional airport, as the client wanted the microtransit service to be a public transit option for residents traveling. Extra regulatory work was required from the legal team and project team to make this happen, as airports have strict rules for businesses operating on airport property.
Traditional operational workflows were tweaked for this project due to Eau Claire's remote location, which is far from existing vehicle maintenance partners. Furthermore, technical components within the app were uniquely altered to accommodate pre-planned changes to the service zone and service parking lot due to local construction.
Achievements & Outcome
A white-label mobile application titled "Northern Lite by EC Transit"
A brand new microtransit service offering Eau Claire residents a new way to travel within the area and the greater Chippewa Valley
Service of over 30 rides per day
