WRTA

09/06/2026

We do not have to choose between transportation and economic development. Transportation IS economic development.

Fremont County's 1/2 cent economic development tax was designed with a balanced approach: support the transportation infrastructure our economy depends on while still providing significant resources for locally selected economic development projects.

That original approach recognized something important.

✈️ Commercial air service connects Fremont County to the world.
Reliable air service supports business travel, workforce recruitment, healthcare professionals, tourism, and access to markets beyond our county. Without bridge funding, commercial air risks significant service reductions during FY 27.

🚌 Public transportation connects people to our local economy.
It helps residents reach jobs, education, healthcare, shopping, training, and other opportunities while helping employers connect with the workforce they need. WRTA is asking for less than $80,000 as bridge funding for FY 27.

🏗️ Local economic development projects create additional opportunities.
Communities can invest in projects that reflect their own priorities and help strengthen their local economies. This includes a wide variety of projects, businesses, and other opportunities for our towns.

The 1/2 cent program was structured to do all three.

Historically, 30% of the revenue was dedicated to transportation, with 20% supporting commercial air service and 10% supporting ground transportation. The remaining 70% was designated for community economic development.

That means supporting transportation does not require abandoning other economic development priorities.

As Fremont County considers how to responsibly use the remaining 1/2 cent economic development dollars, there is an opportunity to protect public transportation and commercial air service while preserving resources for other eligible local economic development investments.

That is not choosing one form of economic development over another.

It is recognizing that a strong economy needs all of them.

People need a way to get to work.

Businesses need access to workers and customers.

Our county needs reliable connections to regional and national markets.

And our communities need the ability to invest in projects that create future opportunities.

Using existing economic development dollars strategically can help protect the transportation infrastructure we already have and still leave resources available for other local economic development priorities.

Connect people. Connect businesses. Invest locally. Build for the future.

09/05/2026

Public transportation in Fremont County is bigger than a bus with WRTA on the side.

When we talk about funding public transportation, we are talking about a network of organizations that help Fremont County residents get where they need to go.
One way to understand that network is through FTA Section 5311 (and 5310), the federal program specifically designed to support public transportation in rural communities.

In Fremont County, FY2026 Section 5311 funding supports:
🚌 Wind River Transportation Authority (WRTA)
Providing fixed-route and demand-response public transportation throughout Fremont County.
👵 Lander Senior Citizens Center
Providing transportation that helps connect members of the community, including older residents, with the places and services they need.
👴 Riverton Senior Citizens Center
Historically providing door-to-door transportation primarily for older adults and people with disabilities, with those transportation services now being coordinated with WRTA.
🧑‍🦱 Child Development Centers
Providing transportation to young children for early education programs.

This distinction matters.

Public transportation is not defined by the name on the vehicle or the organization operating it.

In rural Wyoming, public transportation is delivered through transit authorities, local governments, nonprofit organizations, senior centers, and other eligible transportation providers. These organizations may serve different populations or operate different types of service, but they are all part of the larger transportation network that keeps our communities connected.

That is especially important in a county as rural and geographically dispersed as ours.

A ride to a medical appointment is public transportation.
A senior's ride to essential services is public transportation.
A trip to work is public transportation.
A demand-response ride for someone who cannot drive is public transportation.

When we invest in public transportation, we are investing in the entire network of people and organizations working to keep Fremont County moving.

It is bigger than WRTA.

It is about making sure our neighbors have access to work, healthcare, groceries, education, essential services, and their community.

Different providers. Different passengers. One shared purpose: keeping Fremont County connected.

09/04/2026

WRTA offices will be closed on Labor Day.

Thank you for allowing us to serve your transportation needs.

09/04/2026

Why won’t the new 3/4% tax immediately provide funding for local services?

There is an important difference between when a sales tax begins being collected and when those dollars are actually received and available to local governments.

Wyoming’s sales tax system has a built-in collection and distribution cycle.

When a taxable purchase is made, the business collects the sales tax. Businesses then report their taxable sales and remit the tax to the Wyoming Department of Revenue. Under Wyoming law, monthly filers generally report the previous month’s sales and remit those taxes by the end of the following month.

From there, the Wyoming Department of Revenue processes the collections and distributes sales and use tax revenues to local governments through its monthly distribution process.

That means there is a lag between the day a resident pays the tax and the day those dollars reach the local government.

For example:
January: Taxable purchases occur and the tax is collected by businesses.
February: Monthly businesses report January sales and remit the taxes to the state.
Following distribution cycle: The state processes and distributes applicable revenues to local governments. They’re distributed to municipalities and the county by population.

Wyoming revenue-estimating guidance specifically recognizes this delay and notes that some counties can experience an approximately 100-day lag between taxable activity and the corresponding sales tax distribution.

That is why planning for the new 3/4% tax must account for a period between implementation and meaningful revenue becoming available to support services.
The tax may begin generating revenue before local governments have that revenue in hand.

That timing matters for services like public transportation. If existing funding ends before new tax revenue becomes available, bridge funding helps cover the gap between the two funding sources so services do not have to be reduced simply because of the timing of the revenue cycle.

Good financial planning means looking beyond when a tax starts and understanding when the dollars will actually be available to pay the bills.

09/04/2026

Fiscal responsibility means making the most of the dollars we already have.

Using a small portion of the remaining 1/2 cent funds to provide bridge funding for WRTA until the ¾ cent revenue arrives is a practical example of responsible stewardship. WRTA is requesting $78,362.22 from the City of Lander.

These are existing, restricted funds. Using a portion of the remaining balance to help maintain public transportation during a funding transition allows the community to protect an essential service while longer-term solutions are considered.

Bridge funding does exactly what its name suggests: it creates a bridge.
It can help WRTA maintain service, preserve the value of previous investments in vehicles and operations, and continue connecting Fremont County residents to work, healthcare, education, businesses, and essential services.

Allowing an existing transportation system to lose capacity can also create costs later. Rebuilding service, replacing lost capacity, or restarting programs is not necessarily cheaper than responsibly maintaining the infrastructure already in place.

Using available funds strategically is not about avoiding difficult financial decisions. It is about giving the community time to make those decisions thoughtfully while getting the greatest possible value from resources already available. For WRTA, much of that decision has been made: the ¾ cent sales tax will meet this need, but funds will not be available until April 2027.

Use existing dollars wisely. Protect existing investments. Maintain essential connections. Plan responsibly for what comes next.

That is fiscal stewardship.

09/03/2026

Public transportation is economic development.

Economic development is not only about attracting new businesses. It is also about making sure the people and businesses already here have what they need to succeed.

Transportation is part of that foundation.

When people have reliable transportation, they have greater access to jobs, education, training, healthcare, shopping, and other essential services. Employers benefit when workers have another way to get to work. Local businesses benefit when customers can reach them. Communities benefit when more people can participate in the local economy.

In a rural community, distance can be a real economic barrier. A job opportunity does not mean much if someone cannot get there. A business cannot benefit from an available workforce if transportation stands between employees and the workplace.

That is why public transportation should not be viewed only as a social service. It is also economic infrastructure.

⭐Every ride to work supports a worker.
⭐Every trip to a local business supports commerce.
⭐Every connection to education or training supports the future workforce.
⭐Public transportation connects people to opportunity and opportunity to people.

That is economic development.

09/01/2026

Fare free summer has ended, but we still want to hear from you!

Please fill out the survey and let us know how this incredible service helped you.

Extra special thanks to the sponsors who made this possible. We are grateful to be part of this community, and to know that when we have folks in need, Fremont County pulls together.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=m95sol4uKUSc9ty3ZDDy34iAGt0PIatEkJxGbLXadCJUMDhIWDZLSzVSU0w3TEtLU1M5REREUUI1NC4u&origin=QRCode&fbclid=IwVERDUAUD37FwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHqJPwadzODrBEmDU6MgShVc10Vb0cnGSxgt8JRS2FeyMNZO2b9Awnw_4dm0f_aem__j5iL6cDkLSKAL6H7RATfA

08/29/2026

A few more days of sponsored rides and we would LOVE your feedback!

We have enjoyed sharing our summer with you and want to know what you think, too.

Share your thoughts with us about how Fare-Free Summer impacted your travel.

There's still time to ride - summer isn't over yet! Fare-Free rides will last through the end of August.

Thank you again to all of our sponsors who made this possible. It is because of you that Fremont County is the best place to live, work, and play!

Find the survey here: https://shorturl.at/UKsxK

08/26/2026

🍻🎉 Your Future Self Called... 🎉🍻
..and asked us to remind you that finding your keys is a lot easier than finding your car at 2 a.m.

If your Friday or Saturday night plans include good friends, good food, and maybe one more round than originally planned, WRTA Safe Ride has your back.

Available in Riverton and Lander from 6:00 PM to Midnight, Safe Ride helps you make the kind of decision you'll still be proud of the next morning.

Skip the "I probably shouldn't drive" conversation and choose the easy option instead.

📞 Call **307-856-9782** to schedule your ride.

Because the only thing that should be questionable about your night is your karaoke performance. 🎤😂

08/26/2026

We have enjoyed sharing our summer with you and want to know what you think, too.

Share your thoughts with us about how Fare-Free Summer impacted your travel.

There's still time to ride - summer isn't over yet! Fare-Free rides will last through the end of August.

Thank you again to all of our sponsors who made this possible. It is because of you that Fremont County is the best place to live, work, and play!

Find the survey here: https://shorturl.at/UKsxK