MCTS to suspend bus service early through the weekend

MILWAUKEE -- Officials with the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) announced Thursday, June 4 they will temporarily suspend all bus service starting at 10 p.m. on Thursday "after experiencing significant service disruptions in the past six days" amid protests over the officer-involved death of George Floyd.

MCTS will also suspend service early on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (June 5 to June 7).

Service will resume each morning as regularly scheduled, officials said.

MCTS officials noted in a news release Thursday the daily protest marches close major streets and intersections that are a part of the MCTS core bus route network. Daytime detours have allowed for continued service with little disruption, but safely navigating around the many demonstrators — on foot and in cars — in nighttime hours has become increasingly challenging, officials said.

“We understand that the suspension of service will be an inconvenience to riders who use the bus to get to and from work in the late-night hours,” said MCTS Managing Director Dan Boehm in the release. “But we had to make this difficult decision in order to help ensure the safety of our employees, passengers and those that are protesting to make their voices heard.”

Passengers are encouraged to make alternative nighttime travel plans for the immediate future.

Should conditions change, MCTS will post updates on social media and at RideMCTS.com/Alerts.