County Bus Shuttles Returning to Summerfest

Summerfest north gate entrance. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Despite deep budget cuts this year, the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) will still operate popular park-and-ride shuttles to and from Summerfest.

The annual music festival returns to Henry Maier Festival Park on June 18. Each day of the festival, shuttles will start running at 11:30 a.m., and the last bus will pull away from the festival grounds’ mid gate at 12:30 a.m.

Like last year, MCTS will operate shuttles to and from the Hales Corners (S. 108th St.), Brown Deer (851 W. Brown Deer Road) and College Avenue (1400 W. College Ave.) park-and-ride lots. Parking at the lots is free, but trips on the shuttles require a fare, which has gone up since last year.

For passengers 12 and older, fares are $18. For children 11 and younger, seniors 65 and older, and people with disabilities, fares are $9.

The shuttles have gone cashless, and riders can now pay with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Google Pay and Apple Pay. Payment can also be made through the MCTS mobile app, Umo Mobility, or with a WisGo card.

Sarah Pancheri, president and CEO of Summerfest parent company Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., thanked MCTS for continuing to provide shuttles. The service makes it easier for fans to attend the music festival. 

“By partnering with MCTS to provide convenient and reliable transit options, we’re helping festivalgoers get to and from The Big Gig safely, affordably, and with less traffic and congestion,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in a statement released by Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of public transportation to enjoy all that Summerfest has to offer.”

More travel options for getting to Summerfest

Along with the shuttle service, the festival can be reached by a number of regular MCTS bus routes that run near the festival grounds, including Connect 1, which is the system’s only bus rapid transit line.

Connect 1 runs every 10 minutes and can drop passengers across the street from the festival grounds, near the intersection of E. Michigan Ave. and N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., at the base of The Couture. Other routes that can drop riders within walking distance of the festival include the GreenLine, Route 15, Route 18 and Route 30.

The City of Milwaukee’s streetcar, The Hop, also has a station in the base of The Couture. Streetcar stations can be found throughout Downtown and the Lower East Side. During peak hours a streetcar arrives every 15 minutes.

Festival attendees traveling from Chicago, Racine or Kenosha can ride Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service line to the downtown Intermodal station. The train service runs round trips daily, though the schedule may require an overnight stay in Milwaukee.

Biking and walking are also great ways to access the festival grounds, with Milwaukee County Parks Oak Leaf Trail running along the lakeshore and directly to the Summerfest grounds.