MILWAUKEE — For many Milwaukee County residents, getting to school, work, or even the grocery store starts with a bus ride.
Jasaan Burks takes the bus to UWM for school and says he rides every day.
“Every day to school. Sometimes gets delayed,” Burks said.
Watch TMJ4 News reporter Kaylee Staral's story in the video below:
Courtney Garner uses the bus for more than just getting to school. He relies on it for work, grocery shopping, family, friends and events.
“Work, grocery shopping, family, friends, events,” Garner said.
Now, Milwaukee County Transit System is asking riders to weigh in on two concepts as the agency reimagines what the future network could look like with a 25% service reduction.
MCTS says financial challenges are forcing the agency to reduce bus service by approximately 25% in the first year and maintain that service level for the following two years.
The two concepts represent different approaches to the cuts.
One concept would focus on ridership, putting more frequent service on fewer, busier routes. Some routes could come every 15 minutes, including major corridors such as North Avenue.
The other concept would focus on coverage, keeping more routes running so more people remain near a bus stop. But many routes would run less frequently, with buses coming every 30 to 60 minutes.
Garner said he would prefer fewer routes if it means buses come more often.
“Better for people who have disabilities who might not be able to walk,” Garner said.
Jontae Powell rides the bus every weekday to get to work. He said he already leaves home about an hour and a half early so he can catch the bus, and would prefer less routes that come quicker.
“If everyone has access to a main route and it’s a 10-20 minute walk, that’s fine. Then there’s an opportunity for a bus right away,” Powell said.
He said he thinks MCTS should find a balance between the two concepts.
“I think a mix of both is the best thing,” Powell said.
The two concepts are not final proposals. MCTS says they represent the ends of a spectrum, with a final network potentially falling somewhere in between.
Public feedback will help inform the decision. MCTS and its consultant team plan to present feedback to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, with the County Board expected to decide between the ridership and coverage priorities in January.
How to weigh in
MCTS will host five public open houses where residents can learn more about the concepts, ask questions and provide feedback:
- Sept. 24, 4-6 p.m. — Cudahy Family Library, Suzann E. Collins Gathering Place, 3500 Library Drive, Cudahy
- Sept. 30, 1-3 p.m. — Independence First, 540 S. 1st St., Milwaukee
- Oct. 1, 4-6 p.m. — Wauwatosa Public Library, Firefly Room, 7635 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa
- Oct. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Milwaukee Public Library Center Street Branch, Community Room, 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave., Milwaukee
- Oct. 13, 5-7 p.m. — United Community Center, 1028 S. 9th St., Milwaukee. Presentation in Spanish.
MCTS will also be at community events across the county during the public-input period.
The full schedule and online survey are available at RideMCTS.com/MCTSForward.
This story was reported on-air by Kaylee Staral and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
