MILWAUKEE — The Amtrak I-41 Thruway bus service connecting Green Bay and Milwaukee will end Oct. 1 after being in operation since 2019.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced Friday that budget constraints forced the discontinuation of the bus service after the department said the contract between the state and the service provider could not be renewed.
The department said the "legislature did not provide adequate resources through the 2025-27 biennial budget to keep the bus service operational."
According to WisDOT, Gov. Tony Evers requested more than $15 million in additional funding to support potential passenger rail expansion and existing passenger rail operations, including the Thruway bus service, in his state budget proposal.
However, WisDOT said the legislature "provided zero new dollars" for passenger rail-related operations.
The department said the service operated under a mixed funding model, in which ticket revenue covered a portion of operational costs while the state funded the remainder through WisDOT's passenger rail program.
Rising operational costs due to equipment and maintenance needs, combined with inflation, made the service financially unsustainable without additional state support, according to the department.
A list of alternative bus services across the state, including service between Green Bay and Milwaukee, can be found on WisDOT’s website.
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