Milwaukee County Transit System
The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is the largest transit agency in Wisconsin, and is the primary transit provider for Milwaukee County. It ranks among the top 50 transit agencies in the United States for total passenger trips. Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc. is a quasi-governmental agency responsible for the management and operation of the Milwaukee County Transit System. Its bus fleet consists of 382 buses. History. Public transit operations began in Milwaukee during 1860. The service consisted of two horse drawn cars. On June 1, 1975, Milwaukee County took over the bus system and established  the Milwaukee County Transit System after taking over the assets of the Milwaukee & Suburban Transport Company, a private operator. In 2009, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle proposed a three-county Regional Transit Authority that would incorporate MCTS. The proposal faced opposition from some lawmakers and the Regional Transit Authority was never created. Response to COVID-19. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have been required on all MCTS buses since August 1, 2020. As of July 1, 2021, there is no passenger limit on each bus. Passengers are also encouraged to limit interaction with the bus driver, exit through the back  door, and to use contactless fare forms, such as the M•CARD or Ride MCTS app. Masks are required on all MCTS buses until Tuesday, May 3, 2022. Accolades. MCTS is known for its bus drivers doing good deeds around the city of Milwaukee, such as rescuing lost children, helping people with disabilities cross busy streets, and much more. Videos of such acts have gone viral, placing MCTS in the national spotlight. This recognition has resulted in MCTS receiving honors from organizations such as PETA to an Innovators Award from the American Public Transportation Association in July 2019. Bus fleet. History . In 2015, 28 new New Flyer Xcelsior 5600 series buses were acquired. Present. MCTS operates a fleet of about 168 New Flyer D40LFRs, 163 Xcelsior XD40s, and 51 Gillig Low Floor BRTs. Almost all buses are long, with the exception of the 5800 series XD40s being 41 feet long. 28 of the new Gillig Low Floor Advantage BRT 40 ft coaches (5900-5927) were delivered in 2019 and were all in active revenue service as of July 11, 2019, marking Gillig's first return to the MCTS fleet in years. The 4700 series and 4800 series 2003 & 2004 New Flyer  D40LFs were taken out of service by July 11, 2019, while the 4900 & 5000 series 2005 and 2006 New Flyer D40LFs were retired by July 23, 2019. As a result, all New Flyer D40LFs were officially taken out of service as of July 23, 2019, ending a 23-year run of original low floor buses on the streets of Milwaukee. Between June and July 2020, the second set of Gillig BRTs (6000-6022) were delivered, accounting for 23 more buses. As of July 2020, all 23 are in service. MCTS is currently in the process of receiving another order of  Gillig BRT's, which will be numbered in the 6100 series range ( 6100 was spotted at the MCTS administration building for new driver training on April 21st 2022) Future. 15 Nova Bus LFSe+ (6200-6214), series of battery electric buses are planned for the new East-West BRT Bus Rapid Transit project, are expected to arrive in Milwaukee County in Summer 2022. Bus routes. In January 2012, MCTS introduced three new express bus routes under the brand "MetroEXpress". The GreenLine, BlueLine, and RedLine routes have a larger stop spacing than other routes. In August 2014, MCTS launched two new Metro  Express bus routes: Route 6 (which started on Sunday, August 24, 2014), and Route 279 (which started on Monday, August 25, 2014, but retired by August 25, 2016 due to low ridership). Route 6 traveled from Port Washington Road & Capitol Drive, along Capitol Drive, Mayfair Road, Bluemound Road, and Moorland Road through the New Berlin Industrial Park to Buy Seasons in New Berlin, and Route 279 traveled from 32nd & Fond Du Lac along Fond Du Lac Avenue, 76th Street, Fond Du Lac Fwy through Park Place and the Meno. Falls Industrial Park to Pilgrim Road P+R Lot. On January 18 , 2015, the number 10 route was withdrawn. The route, which dated back to the 1920s, was the last streetcar in Milwaukee on its conversion to bus operation in 1958. Two express services (GoldLine and PurpleLine) were introduced along with Route 61, which traveled from 35th & Toronto Street, along Capitol Drive, Sherman Boulevard, Keefe Ave, Appleton Ave, Silver Spring Drive, I-41, Appleton again, Pilgrim Rd, Falls Parkway and County Line Road to Germantown Walmart. In 2018, the system operated 59 routes with 5,190 bus stops. On December 18, 2018, it was announced that Routes 6 and 61 we're retiring due  to not enough money to doom funding. Route 6 ended by December 23, 2018 & Route 61 ended on January 6, 2019, with Route 57 replacing Route 61 until official funding due to buses in Waukesha & Washington Counties on August 24, 2019. Freeway Flyer routes 40, 43, 44, 46, 48, 49 and 79 will continue to be temporarily suspended until further notice due to driver shortages.<ref>