Milwaukee County Transit System

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is the largest transit agency in Wisconsin, and is the primary transit provider for Milwaukee County. It ranks among the top 50 transit agencies in the United States for total passenger trips. Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc. is a quasi-governmental agency responsible for the management and operation of the Milwaukee County Transit System. Its bus fleet consists of 368 buses.
History.
Public transit operations began in Milwaukee during 1860. The service consisted of two horse drawn cars. On June 1, 1975, Milwaukee County took over the bus system and established the Milwaukee County Transit System after taking over the assets of the Milwaukee & Suburban Transport Company, a private operator.
In 2009, then-Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle proposed a three-county Regional Transit Authority that would incorporate MCTS. The proposal faced opposition from some lawmakers and the Regional Transit Authority was never created.
Response to COVID-19.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, to maintain social distancing, each bus is allowed to carry only 20 passengers. Once the bus has 20 passengers, the bus will drive pass stops and those waiting must wait for the next bus. Face masks have been required on all MCTS buses since August 1, 2020. Passengers are also encouraged to limit interaction with the bus driver, exit through the back door, and to use contactless fare forms, such as the M•CARD or Ride MCTS app. Freeway Flyers (routes 40, 43, 44, 46, 48, 49, 79, 137 & 143) and routes RR1, RR2 and RR3 are temporarily suspended until further notice.
Accolades.
MCTS is known for its bus drivers doing good deeds around the city of Milwaukee, such as rescuing lost children, helping people with disabilities cross busy streets, and much more. Videos of such acts have gone viral, placing MCTS in the national spotlight. This recognition has resulted in MCTS receiving honors from organizations such as PETA to an Innovators Award from the American Public Transportation Association in July 2019.
Bus fleet.
MCTS operates a fleet of about 180 New Flyer D40LFRs, 163 Xcelsior XD40s, and 51 Gillig Low Floor BRTs. Almost all buses are long, with the exception of the 5800 series XD40s being 41 feet long. 28 of the new Gillig Low Floor Advantage BRT 40 ft coaches (5900-5927) were delivered in 2019 and were all in active revenue service as of July 11, 2019, marking Gillig's first return to the MCTS fleet in years. The 4700 series and 4800 series 2003 & 2004 New Flyer D40LFs were taken out of service by July 11, 2019, while the 4900 & 5000 series 2005 and 2006 New Flyer D40LFs were retired by July 23, 2019. As a result, all New Flyer D40LFs were officially taken out of service as of July 23, 2019, ending a 23-year run of original low floor buses on the streets of Milwaukee. Between June and July 2020, the second set of Gillig BRTs (6000-6022) were delivered, accounting for 23 more buses. As of July 2020, all 23 are in service. 15 NovaBus LFSe+ (6100-6114) series of battery electric buses are planned for the new East-West BRT Bus Rapid Transit project, are expected to arrive in Milwaukee County in Summer 2022.
Routes.
In 2020, MCTS operated 48 routes with 4,591 bus stops. In 2018, the system operated 59 routes with 5,190 bus stops.
Other transit services.
MCTS is a partner in the Southeast Wisconsin Transit System, a joint-venture transit partnership that also includes Waukesha Metro Transit and Wisconsin Coach Lines in Waukesha, Washington County Commuter Express operated by Riteway Bus Service in Richfield, Belle Urban System (THE BUS) in Racine and Kenosha Area Transit (KAT) in Kenosha.
Other projects.
East-West BRT (Bus Rapid Transit).
The East-West BRT is a 9-mile upcoming route that will serve the region's most traveled corridor. The BRT route will run primarily along Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee and Bluemound Road in Wauwatosa, connecting riders from Downtown Milwaukee and Marquette University to the west side of the city to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC). Its goal is to connect thousands of people to and from work, universities and recreational centers. It will feature battery-electric buses which will receive traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, special bus shelters with ramps for accessibility, and dedicated travel lanes along portions of the route. In late 2018, the project design was finalized, and subsequently received federal approval. As of December 2020, MCTS is expecting to utilize a Small Starts Grant Agreement from the Federal Transit Administration, which accounts for $40.9 million of the $55 million project. Soon, MCTS is expected to select a construction contractor, with construction beginning in Spring 2021. On March 11, 2021, MCTS announced they selected Nova Bus as the manufacturer of 15 LFSE+ battery-electric buses, 11 of which will be used for the new BRT line. MCTS is the first transit system in the United States to be awarded a contract for Nova LFSE+ buses. The buses are expected to arrive in Summer 2022, with revenue service on the route beginning in Fall 2022. It is estimated that by 2035, the East-West BRT route would average more than 9,500 weekday riders, with overall transit ridership in the corridor increasing by 17%.
North-South Transit Enhancement Project.
Currently, Milwaukee County and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) are engaged in a study of the 27th Street Corridor with regard to along and in a half-mile radius of the PurpleLine. Similar to the East-West BRT project, there are a considerable amount of jobs, shopping centers and medical facilities along the PurpleLine. As a result, there are potential plans to improve transit along this corridor, which could mean expanding the PurpleLine as a BRT line, or offering commuter rail or streetcar service. This project, which began in late 2020, intends to build off of the East-West BRT Project, possibly offering another high-frequency service route. While the current PurpleLine is already an pseudo-express route, it does not truly offer authentic express service for the majority of the route, as on average, stops are 0.2 miles apart. This is one of the aspects of transit in this corridor that this project will address.The preliminary project plan has the feasibility study ending in 2021, with a concept being presented to the Federal Transit Administration in 2022. From there, funding will be considered and from 2023 to 2025, construction of the new service will begin. Early on, it is estimated that whatever form this service takes, whether it be bus rapid transit, streetcar or commuter rail, service would start around 2026 or 2027.