Residents Voice Concerns About Proposed MCTS Bus Line Cuts

By PrincessSafiya Byers

This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.

The Milwaukee County Transit System has some tough choices to make. Without major changes, the system faces a $14 million budget deficit in 2026. As a result, plans are in motion to cut several routes and change service for others.

In an effort to share information and gather public input on potential changes, MCTS is hosting two “Listen and Learn” sessions, the first of which was held on Nov. 11.

Hosted by County Supervisor Priscilla Coggs-Jones at Northcott Neighborhood House, 2460 N. 6th St., it was a chance to talk to and hear from residents about what changes to the bus system could mean to them.

Also in attendance were MCTS representatives Jesus Ochoa, director of service development, Brian DeNeve, director of marketing and communications, and Kevina Vann, director of equity and employee relations.

Here’s what they talked about.

Access

The primary concern voiced during the meeting was accessibility.

In 2026, MCTS plans to eliminate routes 20 (S. 20th), 28 (108th), 33 (Vliet), 34 (Hopkins), 55 (Layton) and 58 (Villiard), and modify several other routes.

Most of the 30 people attending the session were seniors concerned about how fewer bus lines would impact their ability to get around.

One woman spoke about the loss of the Route 33 bus line, which runs on West Vliet Street.

“People use that bus line to get to the school board,” she said. “That’s very important. There is no other line that will get people there.”

Mike Roemer, principal at Reagan High School, and David Fifarek, Milwaukee Public Schools transportation services director, advocated for the students they serve.

“I’m here to ask that, if at all possible, we modify rather than eliminate these lines,” Roemer said. “I understand the importance of data, but sometimes data doesn’t show us the things that make it worth it, and I think ensuring kids without resources have access to school is worth it.”

Safety

While lines are being modified and eliminated to address the system’s budget shortfall, MCTS is prioritizing safety for riders.

Ochoa said MCTS is working to increase the number of transit safety officers. Also, in 2026, MCTS and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office are launching the Enhanced Security Pilot program. The County Board of Supervisors allotted $300,000 to deploy sheriff’s deputies on targeted routes to enhance safety and security as part of that program.

Ochoa said about 33% of MCTS riders are not paying fares and that fares are needed to keep the system running.

MCTS data from the first five months of 2025 showed that 3.4 million riders rode the bus without paying during that time period, which would equate to more than 8 million riders a year.

“The number-one cause of operator assault is the result of fare dispute, so operators are instructed not to say anything when people don’t pay,” Vann said.

While MCTS works on plans to ensure safety to operators and riders in general, residents and other stakeholders want to make sure the increased security won’t have an adverse effect.

“We want to ensure students have access to the transit system, but we acknowledge that when it comes to fare evasion, we may have some skin in the game,” Fifarek said. “We want to know how we can help without penalizing kids for being kids.”

Community input

Coggs-Jones encouraged residents to attend the listening sessions, share their experiences and engage directly with local leaders and transit representatives.

“Transit is more than transportation; it’s access to jobs, schools and opportunities,” Coggs-Jones said. “We want to continue hosting listening sessions to ensure that residents are heard.”

Ochoa said transit system leaders want people to know what’s going on, and they want to hear what people have to say. He pointed to the MOVE 2025 project, a plan developed through a public outreach effort to improve the reliability of service on multiple routes, as an example of the good things that can happen when MCTS listens to the community.

Janette Mitchell-Herrera said she rarely uses public transportation but shows up for all the people she knows that do rely on it.

“I just feel like you can’t complain about something if you aren’t being a part of the solution,” Mitchell-Herrera said.

For more information

There will be another session from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the Martin Luther King Library, 2901 N. Martin Luther King Drive.

You can keep up with MCTS meetings and listening sessions here.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.