RACINE, WI — Contrary to the common belief that “no one rides the bus,” RYDE Racine‘s data tells a different story.
In 2024, the transit system provided 1,053,361 rides, marking a 49% increase since 2021, helping residents from across the area get to work, school, and healthcare appointments.
“The idea that ‘no one rides the bus’ just isn’t true,” said Trevor Jung, transit and mobility director for the City of Racine. “We’re providing over a million rides a year—people depend on this service to get to work, school, the doctor, and more.”
Racine bus expands access to employment
Public transit connects workers to job opportunities, especially at or outside the city limits such as the Stephen Olsen Industrial Park on the city’s far south side or the Renaissance Business Park in Sturtevant.
At the request of area employers such as Summit Packaging and Aurora Medical Center near I-94 in Mount Pleasant, RYDE Racine added or adjusted transit stops to ensure employees could more easily access their workplaces. Kyle Kienia, a plant manager from Summit Packaging, said the collaboration began nearly two years ago during the company’s 80,000-square-foot expansion project.
“There was a bus stop around the corner near Chicory Road, but it was a long walk for our employees,” Kienia said. “While Mayor Mason was on-site for our groundbreaking, we made a handshake agreement to work with RYDE Racine to get the stop closer. Once it was added directly at our facility, it changed people’s lives—just being able to get to work.”
According to Kienia, approximately 20 to 25 Summit employees use the bus regularly across various shifts, out of a workforce of around 300 people. The bus now runs nearly until 11 p.m., which aligns with Summit’s round-the-clock operations.
“We’re very grateful for the City of Racine and RYDE Racine,” he added. “This has been an awesome, value-added partnership.”
The partnership reflects broader trends in the local workforce. A 2023 joint survey from RYDE Racine and the Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC) revealed that 64% of Racine employers believe more robust public transit helps attract and retain employees, and 60% said their workforce relies on public transit to get to work.
“Public transportation is more than a service; it’s a gateway to the middle class and provides freedom to move throughout one’s community,” said Jung.
The need for sustainable funding
Despite rising ridership, public transportation in Racine faces significant financial challenges.
The expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds, which contributed between 17% and 26% of the system’s revenue from 2020 to 2024, has left a funding gap. Compounding this issue, inflation and stagnant state funding have eroded over 20% of RYDE Racine’s purchasing power since 2011, Jung said, making it increasingly challenging to maintain current service levels without additional support.
Funding public transportation in Racine is not an issue fare revenue alone can solve.
In Racine, the average rider pays about $2 per trip. Even with over 1 million rides annually, this revenue covers only a fraction of operating costs. RYDE Racine, like most transit systems in the country, relies on a combination of local, state, and federal funding to keep buses running.
“Think of public transportation as a public service,” said Jung. “We don’t expect the fire department or police to pay for themselves through fees. The same logic applies here—it’s about quality of life and access.”
This funding model isn’t unique to Racine. Across the U.S., no major transit system is fully funded through passenger fares. Even New York City’s MTA, the nation’s largest transit system, receives billions in government subsidies annually.
According to national averages compiled by Eno, a non-profit and nonpartisan research hub for public transportation, farebox recovery rates (the share of operating expenses covered by fares) typically range from 20% to 40%, and are often lower in smaller cities such as Racine.
Jung has heard the criticism at Racine Common Council meetings and read comments on the Racine County Eye Facebook page from some area residents who argue that transit should be self-sustaining, but he said this model is neither realistic nor effective.
“We don’t ask roads to be self-sustaining,” he stated. “The private sector couldn’t provide this service at a reasonable cost to people—and we don’t expect other public services like fire, police, or schools to turn a profit. Public transportation should be viewed the same way: as a quality-of-life service we invest in for the good of the community.”
Transit systems are designed to be affordable and accessible—especially for those who may not have other transportation options. Raising fares to fully cover costs would price out the very people who rely on it most: workers, students, seniors, and those living on limited incomes.
And there’s a broader economic argument to be made, Jung said. Every ride helps someone get to a job, a school, or a medical appointment. When people can work, they pay taxes, purchase goods, support local businesses, and contribute to the broader economy. Investing in transit is, in effect, investing in workforce participation and community prosperity.
“Public transportation is about social mobility,” he said.” If you have access to a job, to education, to healthcare—that’s what creates opportunity. None of that matters if you can’t get there.”
Without stable funding—especially as COVID-era federal support phases out—transit systems like RYDE Racine face tough decisions.
State mass transit aids have been effectively frozen for over a decade, and when adjusted for inflation, Racine has lost more than 20% of its purchasing power since 2011.
Regional support for public transit
While RYDE Racine is operated by the City of Racine, it does serve a broader regional ridership, and funding reflects that.
Several neighboring communities, including Mount Pleasant and Caledonia, contribute financially to RYDE Racine through intergovernmental agreements. These communities recognize that transit isn’t just a city service—it’s a regional lifeline connecting residents to jobs, healthcare, and education across municipal boundaries.
According to Jung, local support from surrounding municipalities has grown significantly in recent years. For example, Mount Pleasant increased its local share of funding from approximately $320,000 in 2021 to around $500,000 by 2024—an increase of over 55%. This boost was driven in part by local employers who rely on transit to connect with workers and who advocated for improved service access.
“I’ve been very impressed by the commitment we’ve seen from our municipal partners,” Jung said. “Their investment shows that they understand how critical transit is—not just for Racine, but for the region as a whole.”
The debate over regional transit authorities (RTAs)
A potential solution to funding woes is the establishment of regional transit authorities (RTAs), which can provide dedicated funding sources for transit systems. Gov. Tony Evers’ recent biennial budget proposal includes provisions to allow the creation of RTAs, granting local governments the authority to establish a dedicated transit tax.
If this passes as part of the larger budget, regions such as the corridor from Milwaukee to the border of Illionis could better manage and finance transit services that cross municipal or county boundaries.
But, the proposal faces opposition.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has consistently opposed the establishment of RTAs in Wisconsin, expressing concerns about their structure and funding mechanisms. In 2011, Vos co-sponsored legislation to dissolve existing RTAs, citing issues with how they’d be funded and the lack of government oversight.
KRM would link to buses and create greater mobility
Efforts to establish the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) commuter rail line have seen renewed momentum in recent years.
The proposed 33-mile service would follow the lakefront and connect Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, between the Kenosha Metra station and ending in downtown Milwaukee. Proposed Racine-area stops include downtown Racine and Caledonia.
The rail line has the potential to create greater regional mobility and provide a sustainable transit option along the heavily traveled I-94 corridor.
In 2022, the City of Racine secured a $5 million federal planning grant to revisit and update prior feasibility studies. That planning work includes assessing development potential around proposed station areas and identifying funding mechanisms that could support long-term operations.
Jung sees the KRM as a crucial economic development strategy, not just a transit project.
“We’re in the third-largest economic region in the United States—more than Chicago alone—we’re in the 10th-largest economic region in the world. Yet Racine, the largest city furthest away from an interstate in the Midwest, is not connected by passenger rail infrastructure,” he said.
The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) and city officials continue to study the technical, financial, and logistical components needed to bring the project to life.
In September 2024, Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman declined to support a resolution backing the KRM study, citing concerns about representation and community input.
Despite this, the cities of Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee continue moving forward with the project, with the feasibility study expected to wrap up in 2025.
“The way you create investment in Racine, the way you help people get to jobs, and the way you encourage families to settle here is by investing in regional transportation—namely, passenger rail from Kenosha north to Racine and then into Milwaukee,” Jung added.
https://racinecountyeye.com/2025/04/04/ryde-racine-ridership-increases/
