Milwaukee County Transit System

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. [5] 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. [6]

Masks are required on all MCTS buses until Tuesday, May 3, 2022. [7]

In 2015, 28 new New Flyer Xcelsior 5600 series buses were acquired.[10]

MCTS operates a fleet of about 168 New Flyer D40LFRs, 163 Xcelsior XD40s, and 51 Gillig Low Floor BRTs. Almost all buses are 40 feet (12 m) 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,[11] 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)

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.[12]

The East-West BRT is a 9-mile upcoming route that will serve the region's most traveled corridor. The BRT route will run primarily along Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee and Bluemound Road in Wauwatosa, connecting riders from Downtown Milwaukee and Marquette University to the west side of the city to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC).[21] Its goal is to connect thousands of people to and from work, universities and recreational centers. It will feature battery-electric buses which will receive traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, special bus shelters with ramps for accessibility, and dedicated travel lanes along portions of the route.[22] In late 2018, the project design was finalized, and subsequently received federal approval.[23] As of December 2020, MCTS is expecting to utilize a Small Starts Grant Agreement from the Federal Transit Administration, which accounts for $40.9 million of the $55 million project.[24] Soon, MCTS is expected to select a construction contractor, with construction beginning in Spring 2021. On March 11, 2021, MCTS announced they selected Nova Bus as the manufacturer of 15 LFSE+ battery-electric buses, 11 of which will be used for the new BRT line. MCTS is the first transit system in the United States to be awarded a contract for Nova LFSE+ buses.[25][26] The buses are expected to arrive in Summer/Fall 2022, with revenue service on the route beginning in Spring 2023. It is estimated that by 2035, the East-West BRT route would average more than 9,500 weekday riders, with overall transit ridership in the corridor increasing by 17%.[27]

Currently, Milwaukee County and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) are engaged in a study of the 27th Street Corridor with regard to along and in a half-mile radius of the PurpleLine. Similar to the East-West BRT project, there are a considerable amount of jobs, shopping centers and medical facilities along the PurpleLine. As a result, there are potential plans to improve transit along this corridor, which could mean expanding the PurpleLine as a BRT line, or offering commuter rail or streetcar service. This project, which began in late 2020, intends to build off of the East-West BRT Project, possibly offering another high-frequency service route. While the current PurpleLine is already an pseudo-express route, it does not truly offer authentic express service for the majority of the route, as on average, stops are 0.2 miles apart. This is one of the aspects of transit in this corridor that this project will address.[28] The preliminary project plan has the feasibility study ending in 2021, with a concept being presented to the Federal Transit Administration in 2022. From there, funding will be considered and from 2023 to 2025, construction of the new service will begin. Early on, it is estimated that whatever form this service takes, whether it be bus rapid transit, streetcar or commuter rail, service would start around 2026 or 2027.[29]