From an editorial in the Wausau Daily Herald:
Ever since Lee Sherman Dreyfus came up with the term “ruralplex” to describe the way Marshfield, Stevens Point, Wausau and Wisconsin Rapids could work together, it’s been apparent that central Wisconsin can be more than the sum of its parts.
Over the years, we’ve consistently been in favor of initiatives to connect central Wisconsin’s cities, whether that meant establishing Central Wisconsin Airport as the region’s hub, encouraging University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to expand its offerings throughout the area, or even exploring the possibility of a regional jail.
But one of the most fundamental ways for the cities of central Wisconsin to be connected is simply to make it easier for people to get from one city to another.
Several area mayors have begun exploring options for creating a commuter bus line that would connect the area — a loop through the southern cities of Stevens Point, Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids, heading north to CWA, Wausau, Marathon and Merrill. This is a project with the long-term potential to spur economic growth, and strengthen the cultural capital of central Wisconsin as a whole.