A listener has pointed out to Bubbler Talk that the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory — a.k.a. the Domes — is a nationally known site in need of help but remains two bus rides away for most Milwaukee residents.
Others at WUWM have reported on the financial debate over the Domes and, now, potential revitalization.
This Bubbler Talk is about Milwaukee County Transit System buses getting passengers to and from the Domes and other local landmarks, and how the bus system managers say they want to hear from the public about possible route changes.
So, we thought we’d offer a really condensed version of a two-bus ride to the Domes — and took these notes, beginning with the swipe of a WisGo fare card at a bus stop on Milwaukee’s west side.
After the "ding" of the swipe, we noted:
“OK, it’s 11:10 a.m. Here comes the eastbound Connect, boarding at 76th and Bluemound.”
“Transferred to the Purple Line at 11:22, southbound at 27th and Wisconsin.”
“It’s 11:25. I’m at 27th and Evergreen. I’ve just stepped off the Purple Line, southbound, and I’m across the street from the Mitchell Park Domes.”
Just 15 minutes on the bus, with one transfer to get from my neighborhood to the Domes — pretty easy. But others farther away would have a tougher time, as we heard from Audrey Dalum, who lives on the Lower East Side of Milwaukee and drove a car to the Domes.
“I try to take public transit when I can. But in the long run, when I can drive ten minutes and it’ll take me an hour to get there via transit, it doesn’t really make sense to me to take transit. Just because it takes so long, and I’ll have to do a couple transfers, and it’s very tedious to get here via public transit," Dalum says.
Dalum says she uses the downtown streetcar, known as The Hop, to get to Summerfest but finds it more difficult to get to other landmarks via public transportation.
Another Domes visitor, who gave his name as Gabe and lives in the Third Ward just south of downtown, has a better impression of taking the county bus to cultural landmarks.
“We do have a fair amount of places that a lot of buses can interconnect to each other. So that’s pretty cool in the city of Milwaukee like that," Gabe says.
Whether your issue is bus service to landmarks, visiting friends, or getting to work, the County Transit System has begun offering an online survey about possible route changes they’re considering for later this year. You can also share your own ideas.
A series of public meetings on what’s called MOVE 2025 starts on Jan. 14.
Transit System Planning Manager Jesus Ochoa says that when it comes to taking the bus to landmarks, much of the service is good. However, at some sites, the 40-foot-long by 11-foot-wide buses can’t turn into smaller roadways to get right next to buildings.
At the Domes, for example, Ochoa says if the bus were to turn into the driveway, it would extend the ride for the majority of north-south Purple Line riders who are headed elsewhere.
“Sometimes, landmarks are right in the middle of a route, and deviating off any major corridors has impacts on other riders. For some perspective, the Purple Line currently serves the Domes via the Evergreen bus stops, and they average about 25 ons or offs throughout any given weekday. For more context, the Purple Line has about 6,600 rides per day. So, as transit planners, we have to consider the trips of all," Ochoa tells WUWM.
But Ochoa says that where possible, the transit system is open to changes.
“We’re really excited that we’re able to provide the public with ideas that, for the most part, come from them before we even propose any type of plan that can be implemented in the fall," he says.
He adds that one thing he’s heard quite a bit so far is about bus service on the far south side.
“We’ve heard from a lot of customers that they want east-west connectivity on the southern part of the county. We’ve heard that a lot — that it’s very hard to get west of 27th Street if you live in the South Shore, for instance. You have to go north, west, then south. It just takes a long time. So we have an idea on how to make that connection better," Ochoa says, adding that he’s heard the same type of complaint about far northern Milwaukee County.
He cautions that the Milwaukee County Transit System is looking for ideas that are cost-neutral — meaning if service is added in one area, cuts may have to be made elsewhere.
The bus system says it continues to face both short- and long-term financial challenges.
But when all goes well, a two-bus ride home from the Domes, for example, can take just 16 minutes.
Some notes from our homeward trip:
“OK, it’s 12:12 p.m., and here comes the northbound Purple Line. Getting on at the Domes.”
“And catching the Connect westbound at 27th and Wisconsin at 12:17 p.m.”
“It’s 12:28 p.m., and I’ve just stepped off the westbound Connect at 76th and Bluemound. Bus ride over.”
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