New Bus Route Changes Begin Dec. 3

Cream Puff Line. Photo courtesy of MCTS.

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) will make changes to bus service along a handful of routes on Dec. 3.

These winter service changes include increased frequency, added bus trips and reconfiguration of three routes.

The transit system usually makes a number of minor changes to the system four times a year, coinciding with the changes in routes and scheduling for the bus operators. The winter changes are aimed at increasing frequency and adjusting routes based on feedback from riders and operators, the transit system said. Additionally, two routes will be changed to reflect the end of detours around construction.

Increasing Bus Frequency

Bus frequency will increase along five routes, the transit system said. One of them, Connect 1, is the county’s new bus rapid transit service.

• Connect 1 — Bus frequency increased Saturdays after 10:30 p.m. with a bus arriving every 20 minutes.
• Route 24 — Bus frequency increasing with a arrivals every 20 minutes on weekdays.
• Route 30 — Buses will no arrive every 30 minutes on Saturday s after 10:30 p.m.
• Route 31 — Buses will arrive every 30 minutes on Saturday evening.
• Route 66 — This route becomes a new high-frequency route along Burleigh St., buses will arrive every 15 minutes on weekdays.

Additional Trips

Two bus routes will have additional trips added to their schedule.

• Route 51 — This route will run additional trips to S. Lake Drive to serve residents and employees of a senior living facility.
• Route 14 — One late night trip will be added to serve workers leaving Downtown.

Detours End

Two bus lines — Route 12 and Route 57 — have been detoured around construction. Beginning Dec. 3 they will return to their original routes.

Route Modifications

Three bus routes are being reconfigured. The changes are intended to improve bus frequency at specific junctions, to better serve workers or to reduce the walking distance between transfers.

• Route 18 — According to the MCTS press release: “Route 18 will be extended on the eastern end north to the MSOE campus. The route will continue past Kilbourn Avenue going north on Water Street to Broadway and then south to Knapp Street next to MSOE’s Viets Field. The combination of Route 18, Route 15, and the GreenLine on Water Street/1st Street will mean buses will arrive on average every five minutes between National Avenue and Juneau Avenue.”
• Route 35 — MCTS: “Route 35’s northern layover will be moved across the street. The layover will be changed from Teutonia and Good Hope (facing south) to Good Hope and Teutonia (facing west). A new bus stop will be added near the current layover stop so riders who transfer are within a short walking distance.”
• Route 92 — MCTS: “Route 92 will be reconfigured at its northern end between Bradley Road and Brown Deer Road. Instead of routing on Bradley Road between 91st Street and 107th Street to its endpoint at Heather. Route 92 will continue north on 91st Street past Bradley Road to Brown Deer Road, west on Brown Deer Road to 107th Street and south on 107th Street to its current end point. This change will better serve residents along Brown Deer Road as well as workers on 91st Street going to the nearby business park.”