New Milwaukee County bus programs tackle fare evasion, safety concerns
New MCTS programs tackle fare evasion, safety
Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) announced on Friday, Jan. 16 details about two new pilot programs to lessen fare evasion and improve safety for bus riders and operators.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) announced on Friday, Jan. 16 details about two new pilot programs to lessen fare evasion and improve safety for bus riders and operators.
New programs launched
What we know:
A news release says the 2026 Bus Fare Compliance Program will expand MCTS’s existing in-house Public Safety Officer (PSO) Program to discourage fare evasion. The programs are funded by safety initiatives that were introduced during the county’s 2026 budget process.
Second, the 2026 Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office Transit Security Pilot Program will place law enforcement on select routes to respond to significant safety and security incidents involving criminal activity.
Sheriff’s Transit Security Pilot Program
What we know:
As part of the 2026 Adopted Budget, Milwaukee County, in partnership with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, launched a pilot program designed to address any criminal activity on MCTS bus routes. The initiative will place plain clothes Sheriff’s deputies on targeted bus routes to enhance and supplement safety and security for operators and riders.
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The program will last through 2026, or until funding dedicated to the program is exhausted.
Passengers react
What they're saying:
"There have been situations that I’ve been in where there has been a person who is a little (off), and the driver’s really good about it. If they know they’re going to be harmful they will stop and call security to have them removed," said Kirsten Reddy, a frequent bus passenger.
On Friday morning, Jan. 16, prosecutors charged a 27-year-old passenger with punching a driver after she refused to get off the bus for more than two hours.
But it is not just passengers. This week, a bus driver was also accused of driving drunk when he hit and killed a pedestrian in Greenfield back in November.
Bus fare compliance
Dig deeper:
The 2026 Bus Fare Compliance Pilot Program will ramp up MCTS's existing PSO program to deploy uniformed security personnel at high-evasion bus stops and on buses to create a visible presence to deter fare evasion while enhancing safety.
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The pilot program launches Jan. 19. It will leverage new funding to boost PSO staff hours dedicated to addressing fare evasion. MCTS will continue to expand its PSO program throughout the year and is currently recruiting more PSOs.
MCTS bus fare evasion, supervisors want $600K for security officers
Two Milwaukee County supervisors said they have a new plan to tackle fare evasion on MCTS buses, adding security officers on certain routes.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Milwaukee County Transit System and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.