Fifty years of operation have led the Milwaukee County Transit System through many changes. The most recent, courtesy of the MOVE 2025 initiative, have affected routes across the city.
Approved in late June, MOVE 2025 introduced extensions and modifications of existing routes, new routes and an increase in service frequency on routes 57, 63 and the BlueLine.
The plan was put in motion after seven months of gathering feedback from the public and key stakeholders. The entire process resulted in over 1,500 comments from riders, drivers, local businesses, elected officials and community groups around the Milwaukee area.
Beginning Aug. 24, 40 out of 46 county buses were impacted, with 17 routes undergoing service reduction. These changes are the result of a $10.9 million budget deficit announced by MCTS in June of this year, caused by operational expenses and lower passenger revenue.
While no routes were cut completely, 20,000 hours of service were reduced, effective through the end of the year.
“Reducing the frequency of buses is the last thing we want to do, but it will have the least impact on our riders,” Julie Esch, former MCTS interim president and CEO, said in a statement from June before resigning. “Our goal is to ensure that service cuts have minimal impacts on the businesses, organizations and people who rely on this important service.”
Despite frequency reductions, MCTS introduced several improvements aimed at making the system more efficient.
Affecting Marquette University directly, Route 14 was expanded west on Wisconsin Ave., now making stops starting at N. 17th and Wisconsin and going northeast to Bayshore Mall. Marquette students can utilize this route alongside the pre-existing CONNECT 1 and Route 30.
This addition will “expand travel access and shorten travel times to downtown businesses, institutions and Marquette University,” according to the new MCTS MOVE 2025 schedule.
Route 30 was expanded on the western end to provide restroom accommodation for drivers and expand connections to other routes, specifically Routes 12, 19 and the new Route 73.
Additionally, Routes 52, 56 and 68 were extended following requests from riders. Routes 59, 73, 74 and 82 were introduced to the transit system after riders expressed a desire for more connectivity and efficiency.
On Sept. 2, MCTS announced that it had received an $8 million grant funded through the 2025-28 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program to advance transit services in the county.
MCTS plans to go forward with three projects, including replacement buses, traffic signal optimization and public outreach initiatives targeting increased accessibility for demographics that rely on public transit.
$5.8 million of the funding will go towards purchasing clean diesel buses, which will also have updated amenities for passengers like video monitors, plastic seating instead of fabric and a security monitor that will allow riders to see the entire bus interior.
The grant came at a time of need for MCTS, following a budget deficit and service cuts. MOVE 2025 winter changes will be introduced around December of this year.
This story was written by Lilly Peacock. She can be reached at [email protected].
