MCTS Freeway Flyers Return

Freeway Flyers are returning to the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) as of Aug. 30th.

These buses provide express service between downtown Milwaukee and the suburbs. The service runs during peak travel times in the county to serve riders commuting to and from the city for work.

The transit system announced Monday that the service was being brought back, after being cancelled at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as more workers returned to downtown office buildings.

Many workers in white collar professions that populate office buildings in Downtown transitioned to working from home or remotely at the start of the pandemic. Now many are returning to offices.

MCTS said it is not expecting demand for the service to be where it was before the pandemic, so it’s going to operate the service with fewer trips. The new service schedule can be found on the MCTS website.

The returning bus service includes routes 40, 43, 44, 46, 48, 49, 79 and 143.

Freeway Flyers disappeared in March shortly after the pandemic hit the Milwaukee area and the transit system saw ridership collapse. The system began running a weekend service schedule all week long, and began implementing policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on the buses.

There are no longer passenger limits on the buses, but, per federal regulations, passengers are still required to wear face masks when riding.