MCTS bus schedule, route changes coming; what riders need to know
Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS)
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County Transit System spring schedule changes go into effect on March 3 – including a significant change to Route 30, which will add service to Downer Avenue on the city's east side.
Route 30 will begin new service on Downer Avenue and provide riders with a one-bus ride between the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Historic Downer Avenue shopping district and downtown Milwaukee.
Along Maryland Avenue, Route 30 will remain the same as it is today, MCTS said – but riders who use the Maryland and Kenwood bus stop should check to be sure they are boarding the correct bus: Downer Avenue or Maryland Avenue.
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The Downer Avenue buses will travel via the following routing, according to MCTS:
- Northbound to UWM: Buses will travel via Prospect Avenue to North Avenue, Lake Drive, and Downer Avenue to Kenwood and Maryland and layover next to the UWM Union.
- Southbound leaving UWM: Buses will circle the campus via Maryland Avenue to Edgewood Avenue, Downer Avenue and Hartford Avenue back to Maryland Avenue. Buses will leave the campus via Maryland Avenue to Locust Street, Downer Avenue, Lake Drive, North Avenue and west on North Avenue to Farwell Avenue.
- Route 30 buses going to and leaving UWM will alternate between traveling on Maryland Avenue and Downer Avenue.
- When leaving UWM, it’s important that riders look at the destination sign on the bus to see whether it’s heading to Maryland or Downer.
- If traveling south of North Avenue, riders can board either a Maryland or Downer bus.
- All Route 30 buses leaving UWM will serve the southbound bus stop on Maryland Avenue just north of Kenwood Avenue (Stop ID #2379). It’s next to the Lubar Entrepreneur Center and Welcome Center.
- In addition to the routing change, the frequency of service along Sherman Boulevard, Wisconsin Avenue and Prospect/Farwell will be improved.
- The frequency of service during the daytime on Maryland Avenue and Downer Avenue will be between 20-30 minutes.
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Other schedule, route change
Route 21
Route 21 service on weekends will be adjusted to only operate to North Avenue and Lake Drive/Water Tower. The change is being made because Route 30 will now serve Lake Drive and Downer Avenue to UWM on the weekend. Buses on weekdays will continue to provide high frequency service to UWM and the entire route.
Route 92
Route 92 will begin providing new limited-service trips to Brown Deer Road and 114th Street/Lauer Street on the northern end. MCTS said the change will better serve employees that work at the nearby Coca-Cola plant on Brown Deer Road.
- The new limited trips will travel north on 91st Street, west on Brown Deer Road, south on 114th/Lauer and east on Heather to the current layover. Southbound Route 92 trips will not change.
- A new bus stop will be added at 114th Street just south of Brown Deer Road providing a shorter walking distance to workplaces than today.
- In addition, the frequency of service will be improved on weekdays and Saturdays.
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Improved Frequency
Routes 24, 28, 33, and 54 have improved frequency of service, so riders are encouraged to check the new schedules online before riding on March 3.
Adjusted Service
Routes 14 and the BlueLine schedules have been adjusted based on feedback from bus drivers and ridership patterns.
Detours starting this spring
As construction season starts, Route 15, Route 35 and the RedLine will begin long-term detours.
- Route 15 will detour at the northern end in both directions due to construction on the Holton Street Bridge.
- Route 35 will detour at the southern end in both directions due to construction on the Loomis/I-894 Bridge.
- RedLine will detour at the eastern end in both directions due to construction on Downer Avenue between Capitol Drive and Edgewood Avenue.
Find more info
Riders can use the trip planning features on the Umo app or on the RideMCTS website to find the routes that work best for their commute. The Umo app will automatically update on March 3 to reflect new routing information.
Printed timetables are available on buses and racks throughout the county and at MCTS’s administration building and stations. Schedule previews – as well as a complete list of changes – are available online now.