MILWAUKEE — As the Milwaukee Country Transit System continues to seek new avenues for revenue facing a reduction in federal pandemic aid, the system is preparing for its first fare increase since 2019.
Starting January 1st, 2025, riders who use WisGo to pay their fare on MCTS buses will see an increase in the amount needed to reach free rides. The new fare cap means that someone who rides three times or more in the same day will pay five dollars instead of four dollars per day. Single ride fares ($2) will not change.
“Our commitment is to keep the cost of riding the bus as low as possible. That’s why we haven’t changed fares since 2019,” says MCTS Deputy Director Julie Esch. “The fare cap increase will bring more revenue to MCTS, to help us offset gas price increases and higher bus maintenance costs.”
The below charts courtesy of MCTS paint a picture of what fares are changing, and what will remain the same in the new year:
| Adult Full Fare | Now | 2025 | Difference |
| Single Ride | $2 | $2 | No change |
| Daily Cap | $4 | $5 | The third ride is discounted and the fourth ride each day is free |
| Weekly Cap | $19.50 | $20 | An increase of 50 cents to reach free rides |
| Monthly Cap | $72 | $75 | An increase of $3 to reach free rides each month |
| Adult Reduced Fare | Now | 2025 | Difference |
| Single Ride | $1 | $1 | No change |
| Daily Fare Cap | $2 | $2.50 | The third ride is discounted and the fourth ride each day is free |
| Weekly Fare Cap | $11 | $11 | No change |
| Monthly Fare Cap | $32 | $37.50 | An increase of $5.50 to reach free rides each month |
| Cash Fare | Now | 2025 | Difference |
| Single Ride | $2 | $2 | No change |
The increases come as the system comes on the heels of MCTS projecting a $140,651,559 budget for 2025 coupled with an expected loss of federal pandemic aid that has kept the system level for the past four years. In the 2025 budget summary, MCTS noted federal relief funds allocated to the system are expected to run out by late 2026 or early 2027, with the exact timeline dependent upon actual revenues and expenditures in the upcoming years. The summary adds the expiration of these relief fund revenues “will create a ‘fiscal cliff’ in the transit budget in future years.”
Esch says the implementation of the fare cap system has overall been received positively by passengers. “Riders enjoy not having to prepay for burdensome passes. WisGo does the math for everyone and automatically charges the lowest price based on the number of times they ride. It’s been a positive experience for our riders.”
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