Public transit must remain robust, affordable and accessible in Milwaukee. According to recent reports, with federal stimulus funding running out, County Executive David Crowley’s recommended 2026 budget faces a $14 million shortfall, proposing a 15% cut to Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) service to close the gap. This cut would eliminate six bus lines and implement various frequency reductions and shortenings of remaining routes, while also raising base fares from $2 to $2.75. Additionally, the recommended budget would end TransitPlus Same Day Pilot, an on-demand paratransit service implemented in 2024 for people with disabilities.
If enacted, these cuts will have dire consequences for hundreds of thousands of Milwaukeeans who rely on public transit for work, school, groceries and medical or social services, especially in working-class neighborhoods. The 2024 MCTS annual report found that MCTS connects people to 386,000 jobs, 55,000 businesses, 900 schools, 24 hospitals and 18 colleges and universities.
A service-change proposal submitted to the county board shows that half of the six bus lines at risk of being eliminated (Routes 20, 28, 33, 34, 55 and 58) serve neighborhoods that have majority Black and Brown populations. In each neighborhood serviced by these lines, nearly half of all households rely on just one car. In accordance with Milwaukee County’s Racial Equity Budget Tool and MCTS adherence to Title IV of the Civil Rights Act, major budget decisions that impact communities of color must be critically assessed and mitigated…