It’s MCTS Vs. TransDev for Waukesha Metro Contract

(Top) TransDev paratransit van. Photo by Jeramey Jannene. (Bottom) MCTS bus in Gordon Park. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) has competition in its bid to operate Waukesha’s transit system: TransDev.

TransDev is a French multinational transportation corporation, it’s also the contractor MCTS uses to operate its transit service for persons with disabilities. The company currently manages the City of Waukesha‘s transit system,Waukesha Metro, and the City of Milwaukee streetcar, The Hop. Its Waukesha contract is up at the end of the year and now the company is competing against one of its clients for the gig.

MCTS and TransDev are the only organizations that bid to run Waukesha’s transit system, according to Brian Engelking, transit manager for the City of Waukesha. MCTS is competing against the private TransDev for the Waukesha Metro contract, and if successful, it will manage the system the way a third-party contractor would. MCTS would not take over, rebrand or be responsible for funding the system.

For MCTS, the Waukesha Metro contract represents the first major move toward becoming a regional transit system. “Ultimately, the hope is to illustrate how a regional approach to public transportation is a key component in growing the region economically,” according to a June report by MCTS Deputy Director Julie Esch.

MCTS has already collaborated with Waukesha Metro on regional transportation projects. The two agencies worked together to replace the former GoldLine Service that ran into Waukesha when the route was retired by the launch of the Connect 1 bus rapid transit route. Waukesha Metro also recently joined MCTS’ fare collection system WisGo, allowing riders to pay fares for both transit services through the same mobile application.

MCTS is a quasi-governmental private entity. In 1975, Milwaukee County created the non-profit Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc. (MTS) to take over the private Milwaukee & Suburban Transport Company. MCTS is a non-profit incorporated and controlled by the MTS board, which is in turn controlled by the county.

TransDev is a massive transportation corporation operating in 19 countries across the world. Its U.S. subsidiary has contracts in 46 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. TransDev has contracts to operate a wide array of transit services, including microtransit, paratransit and both heavy and light rail.

In recent years, TransDev has acquired private transportation companies in other countries, including the U.S. In 2023, TransDev acquired Ohio-based First Transit and subsequently became the largest private mass transit provider in North America.

For Milwaukee County, the acquisition has created a period of prolonged instability for local persons with disabilities who rely on the public paratransit system for transportation. In 2022, the county awarded First Transit the sole contract for the county’s paratransit program, called TransitPlus. The county was transitioning the program to a single contractor when TransDev took over First Transit, and within a month the program was in crisis.

TransDev didn’t have enough drivers to assume the full contract and paratransit riders paid the price. Since then service has been spotty. In June, local paratransit riders organized a public forum to communicate the ongoing issues they experience with TransDev, including late pickups and excessive travel times that affect their quality of life.

These paratransit struggles are not unique to Milwaukee, either. King County in Washington replaced TransDev in 2019 after experiencing many of the same issues. In 2022, the Detroit City Council refused a paratransit contract with TransDev following similar complaints by riders and advocates for people with disabilities.

Waukesha Metro is working through the final steps of evaluating the bids from TransDev and MCTS, Engelking said. A recommendation will go to the city’s Transit Commission in early September, then on to the Waukesha Common Council for final approval.