MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Five bus routes across the Milwaukee County Transit will see service reductions starting March 8, as the transit system continues to navigate ongoing budget issues.
The route reductions are listed below:
Route 11
- Segment Modification: Route 11 will turn back at 92nd Street on the west end, instead of ending at 124th Street as it does today.
- Service Adjustment: Weekday buses will come every 50-53 minutes during the daytime and 45-50 minutes in the evening, compared to 32-35 minutes during the daytime and 30 minutes in the evening today. Saturday buses will come every 45-48 minutes, compared to 30-32 minutes today. Sunday buses will come every 45 minutes, compared to 30 minutes today.
Route 22
- Segment Modification: Route 22 will turn back at Humboldt Boulevard on the east end, instead of ending at UW-Milwaukee as it does today.
- Service Adjustment: Weekday buses will come every 25-33 minutes during the daytime and 45 minutes in the evening, compared to 23-27 minutes during the daytime and 30 minutes in the evening today. Saturday buses will come every 30-33 minutes, similar to today. Sunday buses will come every 28 minutes, compared to 30-34 minutes today.
Route 24
- Segment Modification: All trips on route 24 will turn back at 74th & Edgerton near Southridge, instead of serving Downtown Greendale as some trips do today.
- Service Adjustment: Weekday buses will come every 27-28 minutes during the daytime and 32 minutes in the evening, compared to 23 minutes during the daytime and 30-37 minutes in the evening today. Saturday buses will come every 25-26 minutes, similar to today. Sunday buses will come every 31-35 minutes, similar to today.
Route 80
- Segment Modification: Route 80 will turn back at the Glendale Industrial Park near Green Bay & Florist on the north end, instead of Good Hope & Teutonia as it does today.
- Service Adjustment: Weekday buses will come every 21-26 minutes during the daytime and 30 minutes in the evening, compared to 15-22 minutes during the daytime and 30 minutes in the evening today. Saturday buses will come every 25-26 minutes during the daytime and 30 minutes in the evening, compared to 24 minutes during the daytime and 26 minutes in the evening today. Sunday buses will come every 25-27 minutes during the daytime and 30 minutes in the evening, similar to today.
Route 88
- Segment Modification: Route 88 will turn back at 107th Street on the west end, instead of 124th Street as it does today.
- Service Adjustment: Weekday buses will come every 52-60 minutes, compared to 35-40 minutes today. Saturday buses will come every 50-55 minutes, compared to 33-40 minutes today. Sunday buses will come every 45-55 minutes, compared to 35-38 minutes today.
“Our approach was really to preserve as much of the service where our riders were riding while also providing the best service we can within our means,” says Director of Service Development Jesus Ochoa.
On average, bus frequency during weekday operations will slow down by an average of nine-and-a-half minutes, though that amount can vary depending on the time of day, weather conditions, etc.
The changes are the second round of route reductions to come following a year that saw MCTS unveil a budget deficit that was originally nearly $11 million when first reported in June; the fallout included the departure of Milwaukee County Department of Transportation Executive Director Donna Martin-Brown and interim MCTS President and CEO Julie Esch.
Six routes were originally on the chopping block during last year’s budget cycle; additional funding allowed those routes to operate during “peak hours” in 2026, along with a reduced version of the same-day paratransit service.
Current President Steve Fuentes said in 2025 the system was facing a projected $14 million shortfall in 2026 due to rising operating costs, declining farebox revenue, and the loss of federal relief funds. That amount, Fuentes estimated, could climb to between $18 and $20 million by 2027.
The spring adjustments do include one service addition: Route 33 will see an additional bus trip added to the schedule between 5a.m. and 6a.m. following feedback from riders who depend on the route between downtown Milwaukee and the west side and West Allis to get to work in the morning.
MCTS is also preparing for routes near and along the multi-year I-94 construction project to encounter increased vehicle congestion from detours. Extra service is being added to the CONNECT1 Bus Rapid Transit line and Route 30, both which run east-west along the I-94 corridor.
“We’re starting to get some of that data to come in to see how those impacts are going against the schedule so that we can perhaps make adjustments in future quarters.” says Ochoa.
The probable congestion drew the ire of Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman in January, who in a January news release expressed concern over the expected build-up of cars on east-west streets such as St. Paul, Clybourn, Michigan and Wisconsin Avenue as well as National Avenue and Pierce Street.
“It appears the view on the part of WisDOT is ‘I-94 expansion project comes first and that’s tough sh*t’ for drivers and people trying to get from the north side to the south side,” wrote Bauman.
Additionally, transit riders may notice new bus shelters that the system is rolling out this year. 25 new bus shelters at stops across the system have been installed; the money for the shelters came from the 2024 Milwaukee County Capitol Budget. 14 of the shelters also include solar-powered lighting inside the shelter to “make waiting for the bus brighter and safer,” according to MCTS.
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