MILWAUKEE, Wis. – As the Milwaukee County Transit System continues working to stabilize it’s budget deficit, a County Supervisor has crafted an idea to save costs at the expense of a day of bus rides.
The proposal, authored by 3rd District Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, would eliminate MCTS service on Christmas Day, which Wasserman indicates could save the system up to $133,000 in gas costs, daily salaries and other operational expenses.
“When we look at ridership over the course of the year, there’s one day that stands out as the lowest ridership every single year. And it’s always Christmas Day,” Wasserman told WTMJ Monday. “I think it’s really a win, win for everybody involved in this resolution.”
An MCTS spokesperson says the system is currently reviewing the proposal, but expressed concern about completely eliminating a day of service.
“While we appreciate creative solutions to MCTS’ fiscal challenges, we must ensure that riders who rely on the bus are not impacted on a day when residents and families use public transit to spend the holiday together,” said the spokesperson Monday. Data from 2024 indicates there were 13,931 boardings on Christmas Day, compared to an average weekday ridership of 81,900 people system-wide through the second quarter of 2025.
That sentiment was echoed by a spokesperson for County Executive David Crowley. “We agree that while creative solutions are needed to address Milwaukee County’s fiscal challenges, riders who rely on the bus should not be negatively impacted on a day when residents and families use public transit to spend the holiday together.”
Co-sponsorship is currently being sought for the proposal, which will be considered by the Committee on Finance before it could be included in the proposed County budget, according to Wasserman.
Wasserman suggested local non-profits could step up to provide assistance to those in need of transportation on the holiday, but did not offer specific suggestions as to what that would look like County-wide.
While Wasserman indicated he did not anticipate any pushback from the Amalgamated Transportation Union Local 998’s leadership, president Bruce Freeman is expressing initial skepticism at the idea.
“I don’t think that would be fair to the people who want to visit family on Christmas Day that don’t have transportation,” Freeman tells WTMJ, noting current MCTS Christmas service runs on a limited Sunday-style schedule.
The proposal comes less than a week after MCTS publicly revealed it had reduced its budget deficit from $10.9 million down to $9.2 million, while also sharing its plans to combat the ongoing practice of fare evasion on County buses. The latest data from MCTS indicates an average of 33% of bus passengers aren’t paying to ride, though other reporting suggests the actual number may be even higher.
READ MORE: MCTS shares progress on budget deficit, addresses fare evasion plans
At last week’s meeting of the Committee on Transportation and Transit, new MCTS President and CEO Steve Fuentes and Chief Financial Administrator Sandra Kellner indicated the system would utilize increased security, fare ambassadors and new technology as part of its strategy to combat the practice. While union members present Wednesday indicated they want to be able to once again ask non-paying riders for a fare, Fuentes said he would not comprimise operator safety to save money.
“When it comes to addressing budget deficits, safety is never on the table,” said Fuentes.
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