La Crosse approves automated passenger counter to improve bus planning

The Finance & Personnel Committee on July 2 approved a resolution authorizing purchase of an automatic passenger counter (APC) for the Metro Transit Unit’s AVL system.

The MTU director said the APC is the final component of a larger AVL project that provides real-time vehicle locations; the APC hardware will count boardings and alightings at individual stops. Staff said the data are essential for a systemwide service analysis, moved up from 2028 to 2027, and will help the city understand transfers, route consolidation opportunities and passenger flows.

The director explained that while the APC produces counts, other passenger-type information (for example, identifying bike passengers or mobility-device users) remains part of earlier system processes; some passenger-type coding is completed manually as part of the broader program. The committee moved and adopted the purchase 5–0.