The fee is currently $30 and has not increased since it was introduced in 2017. Increase in the county’s vehicle registration fee. 3 ways for MCTS to bring in more money or fill the gapĪside from the cuts, Henken and the Forum’s study listed three ways the district could increase revenue, with some caveats. “Just because ridership has been reduced on some routes doesn’t mean those routes still don’t provide a vital lifeblood for the citizens who rely on this bus to get to work, to some doctor’s appointments, or to shop for groceries, ” he said.įor the same reason, the county has advanced its East-West Bus Rapid Transit, which will provide service along a popular 9-mile transit corridor that winds through the city’s downtown, near the West Side, Marquette University, Wauwatosa and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center extends. However, Henken warned that even with an adjustment on less popular routes that record very few ridership, around 4,500 drivers still dependent on the service are likely to suffer each weekday. In his current budget, Crowley reduced one bus per route to four current routes and eliminated Freeway Flyers service. Lines 20, 28, 34, 52, 58, 60, 68, 88 and 92 have been identified, which mostly serve or extend to the outskirts or the district.ĭespite the infusion of $191 million in federal pandemic dollars, MCTS still hasn’t seen a recovery in ridership, which had already been declining before the outbreak of COVID-19. The study suggests that MCTS would need to eliminate seven of its least productive routes and also eliminate some services on one route to secure $15 million in annual spend savings. Reducing bus routes and frequency could save money Recent efforts by the county to clean up Transit’s finances have resulted in cuts in dedicated bus routes and a reduction in services in the 2023 budget, as well as a push by County Executive David Crowley and other local leaders for an increased sales tax. “We just thought it would be helpful and educational to model a mixed approach, a balanced approach.” “Hypothetically, there are many different ways that one could piece together a solution,” Henken said. However, there are a handful of potential options for the county to avert such a crisis, including a mix of reducing bus service, increasing vehicle registration fees, increasing property tax allocations to MCTS, and revenue from a potential 1% statewide sales tax hike. “Now we’re back on the precipice of severe financial turmoil,” Rob Henken, president of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, told the Journal Sentinel.

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