Bus Rapid Transit Expected by 2021
9-mile line, $54 million project by Milwaukee County mostly funded by federal grant.
A nine-mile-long, bus rapid transit (BRT) line will likely be up and running in Milwaukee County by 2021.
Planners expect to finish design and engineering for the line by late fall to early winter of this year on the $54 million project. Construction is projected to begin in Spring 2020.
The line will run east to west from downtown Milwaukee along Wisconsin Ave. out to Wauwatosa, then along Bluemound Rd., eventually turning north at 95th St. and then west again once it connects with Watertown Plank Rd., where it will have a connection at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center. More than 50 percent of the line will have a dedicated lane just for the BRT vehicles.
It is expected that the project will be financed mostly through a grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The project was included in the federal budget signed in March and has been assigned a project consultant by the FTA.
The cost to operate the line is equivalent to roughly 1 percent of MCTS’ annual budget. Meyers said, though, that the line should add efficiency to the entire system. The grant, if realized, will also supply funds for off-board fare boxes at bus stops.
The idea behind BRT is a high frequency line that provides shorter travel times and has connections to a number of the county’s heavily used bus lines. This sort of high frequency service is expected to induce gains in ridership. The corridor the BRT line will serve has a population of more than 69,000, many of whom need public transit: an estimated 21 percent of the households don’t own a car, 37 percent are minority and 23 percent live below the poverty level.
BRT is being implemented by cities all over the United States, and Milwaukee County Transit System officials have said Milwaukee is falling behind in this regard. “This project is a great opportunity to catch up to our peers,” Booth said.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits, all detailed here.
More about the East-West BRT Line
- MKE County: Local Leaders Celebrate Launch of BRT Service - Graham Kilmer - Jun 5th, 2023
- Transportation: Milwaukee’s First Bus Rapid Transit Line Is Open for Business - Graham Kilmer - Jun 4th, 2023
- Transportation: New Bus Rapid Transit Line Launches Sunday, GoldLine Ends - Graham Kilmer - Jun 3rd, 2023
- Transportation: Federal Funds Creating Two New East-West BRT Stations - Graham Kilmer - May 19th, 2023
- Transportation: First 4 Months of BRT Rides Will be Free - Graham Kilmer - May 9th, 2023
- Transportation: 6 Bus Routes Will Change With BRT Launch - Graham Kilmer - Apr 3rd, 2023
- Transportation: BRT Grant Could Fund Downtown Plaza - Graham Kilmer - Feb 28th, 2023
- Transportation: New Electric BRT Line Will Launch With Some Diesel Buses - Graham Kilmer - Feb 24th, 2023
- Transportation: BRT Line Slated for June 4 Start - Graham Kilmer - Jan 26th, 2023
- Transportation: MCTS Unveils New Electric Bus, Brand For BRT Line - Graham Kilmer - Nov 11th, 2022
Read more about East-West BRT Line here
Transportation
-
Milwaukee Wants Your Input on Future of Dockless Scooters
Oct 19th, 2021 by Jeramey Jannene
-
Wisconsin Vehicle Emissions Dropped During Lockdowns
Oct 6th, 2021 by Danielle Kaeding
-
Federal Infrastructure Bill Will Help State’s Maritime Economy
Sep 30th, 2021 by Adam Tindall-Schlicht
Thanks for the update. I think the line runs to Wauwatosa, not West Allis…. “The line will run east to west from downtown Milwaukee along Wisconsin Ave. out to West Allis, then along Bluemound Rd.”
@Patricia Thanks. Fixed.
That was quick! Thanks.
Wouldn’t the design and engineering be done in late fall of 2019 to early winter of 2020 (not 2020 and 2021)? I would imagine this needs to be done before construction which is set to begin in Spring 2020.