What’s Happening With Second BRT Project?

MCTS Connect 1 at Wisconsin Avenue Stop. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is inviting the public to learn about its plans for a second bus rapid transit (BRT) line as it prepares to apply for federal funding later this year.

Transit planners are working on an 18-mile bus rapid transit service that will run north and south through the 27th Street corridor between Bayshore in the north and Ikea in the south. They are trying to have the $148 million project ready for federal funding by the end of the year. With a mix of virtual and in-person meeting, MCTS is planning to share what it can so far on this undertaking.

The north-south line will intersect with the existing bus rapid transit line called the Connect 1, which runs east and west between downtown Milwaukee and Wauwatosa. The two routes will intersect at N. 27th Street and W. Wisconsin Avenue. This spot in the city of Milwaukee will become the “tentpole” for the transit system, with transit connections all over the county accessible along the rapid transit routes.

Connect 1 quickly became a popular bus route in 2023, as Urban Milwaukee reported. “Riders tell us they want to see more of the enhanced features BRT provides,” said David Locher, MCTS Enhanced Transit manager, in a statement.

As it currently stands, the 27th Street route could be up and running by 2028. Planners are modeling traffic and reviewing the environmental impact of the project in close coordination with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The plan is to use the same FTA grant program that helped finance the building of Connect 1 to help pay for the second route.

If the projected timeline holds up, construction will begin in 2026 and last for two years. Though, construction of the Connect 1 was delayed more than a year largely due to a slower than anticipated application process for federal funding, as Urban Milwaukee reported.

The 27th Street route will be twice as long as the Connect 1 and will supply a direct connection to 55% of the transit system’s bus routes. The route will run past more than 100,000 county residences and provide bus service to an estimated 91,000 jobs. The corridor is also home to a large population of people who do not own vehicles — about one in five households along the route.

Public Information Meetings

South Side Open House

• Tuesday, Feb. 27
• 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Wilson Senior Center, 2601 W. Howard Ave.

North Side Open House

• Thursday, Feb. 29
• 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Century City Tower, 4201 N. 27^th St.

Virtual

• Wednesday, February 28
• 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Zoom Link