Government & Politics

After 75-cent fare hike, more changes coming to Milwaukee County bus routes. What to know

WUWM 89.7 FM | By Katherine Kokal

Published January 8, 2026 at 5:00 AM CST

A Milwaukee County Transit bus makes its way south on 6th Street. The transit system increased fares and is reducing service on some routes in 2026.

The last year has been tough for public transportation in Milwaukee, and changes to the Milwaukee County Transit System are about to affect riders beyond their fares.

Starting Jan. 1, adults began to pay $2.75 each trip for bus service, up from $2 last year.

This Sunday, the first of two major route changes will go into effect, meaning some routes will see fewer buses on weekends.

The system is decreasing service on select routes to deal with a $14 million budget deficit.

Although that's bad news, it's seen as a relief for some riders. MCTS was planning to eliminate six routes before Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed legislation to address the budget shortfall by adjusting route frequency.

Here's what to know:

Bus fare cost increases in Milwaukee in 2026

Starting this month, the new bus fares as as follows:

Adult fare: $2.75 (up from $2)
Reduced fare: $1.25 (up from $1)

Fare caps, or the maximum amount of money a rider will spend, are also changing:

Daily regular fare cap: $8.25 (up from $5)
Daily reduced-fare cap: $4 (up from $2.50)
Weekly regular fare cap: $33 (up from $20)
Weekly reduced-fare cap: $16.50 (up from $11)
Monthly regular fare cap: $99 (up from $75)
Monthly reduced-fare cap: $49.50 (up from $37.50)

Riders need to pay their fares using the WisGo card or WisGo reduced fare card, or through the UMO app in order to receive fare capping.

Milwaukee buses accept cash for fares, too.

A Milwaukee County Transit bus makes its way down Wisconsin Avenue. The transit system increased fares and is reducing service on some routes in 2026.

Changes to Milwaukee bus routes coming Jan. 11: Some will only run during rush hour

While the new fares began earlier this year, MCTS will also reduce service on some routes to to only peak hours starting Sunday Jan. 11.

Here are the changes:

Route 20: S. 20th Street: Weekday buses will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, buses will operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Route 28: 108th Street: Weekday buses will operate between 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Saturdays, buses will operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sundays, buses will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route 33: Vliet – S. 84th Street: Weekday buses will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Saturdays, buses will operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sundays, buses will operate from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Route 34: Hopkins - Congress: Weekday buses will operate from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Saturdays, buses will operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sundays, buses will operate from 8 a.m to 4 p.m.
Route 55: Layton Avenue: Weekday buses will operate from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Saturdays, buses will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sundays, buses will operate from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route 58: Villard Avenue: Weekday buses will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Saturdays, buses will operate from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Sundays, buses will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Longer bus wait times: Changes to weekday bus routes coming Jan. 11

There will also be longer wait times on some routes while the MCTS makes service less frequent. Here's what to know:

Route 12: Teutonia Avenue

Buses will come every 19 to 22 minutes instead of every 15 minutes.
From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., riders will have to wait 7 minutes longer
From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., riders will have to wait four minutes longer

Route 14: Humboldt-Wisconsin

Buses will come every 35 minutes instead of every 26 minutes.
Riders will have to wait nine minutes longer from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Route 31: State-Highland

Buses will come every 42 to 50 minutes instead of every 27 to 33 minutes.
Riders will have to wait 15 to 17 minutes longer all day.

Route 51: Oklahoma Avenue

Buses will come every 22 minutes instead of every 15 minutes.
Riders will have to wait seven minutes longer from 6 a.m. to 9 am and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Route 53: Lincoln Avenue

Buses will come every 28 to 30 minutes instead of every 20 to 22 minutes.
Riders will have to wait eight minutes longer from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Route 57: Walnut-Appleton

Buses will come every 28 minutes instead of every 22 minutes.
Riders will have to wait six minutes longer from 6 a.m. to 9 am and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Route 60: 60th Street

Buses will come every 23 to 24 minutes instead of 20 to 22 minutes.
Riders will have to wait two to three minutes longer from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Route 63: Silver Spring Drive

Buses will come every 20 minutes instead of every 15 minutes.
Riders will have to wait five minutes longer from 6 a.m. to 9 am and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

A Milwaukee County Transit bus makes its way south on Water Street. The transit system increased fares and is reducing service on some routes in 2026.

Changes to Saturday and Sunday service on Milwaukee bus routes

Route 18: National-Greenfield

Buses will come every 22 to 24 minutes instead of every 20 to 21 minutes.
On Saturdays, riders will have to wait two to three minutes longer from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Route 19: M.L. King-S. 13th

Buses will come every 24 to 25 minutes instead of 20 to 22 minutes.
On Saturdays, riders will have to wait three to four minutes longer from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Route 21: North Avenue

Buses will come every 30 minutes instead of every 22 minutes.
On Saturdays, riders will have to wait eight minutes longer from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Route 31: State-Highland

On Saturdays, buses will come every 40 to 45 minutes versus every 25 to 30 minutes. Riders will have to wait 15 minutes longer from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
On Sundays, buses will come every 45 minutes versus every 30 minutes. Riders will have to wait 15 minutes longer from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Route 59: Drexel Avenue

On Saturdays and Sundays, one bus will come every 70 minutes instead of every 35 minutes. Riders will have to wait 35 minutes longer from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Route 74: S. 43rd Street

On Saturdays, one bus will come every 50 to 55 minutes versus every 25 to 30 minutes. Riders will have to wait 25 minutes longer from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
On Sundays, one bus will come every 50 to 55 minutes instead of every 25 to 27 minutes. Riders will have to wait 25 to 28 minutes longer from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

GreenLine: Bayshore-Airport

On Saturdays, buses will come every 23 to 26 minutes instead of every 18 to 20 minutes. Riders will have to wait five to seven minutes longer from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

PurpleLine: 27th Street

On Saturdays, buses will come every 23 to 26 minutes instead of 18 to 21 minutes. Riders will have to wait three to five minutes longer from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

RedLine: Capitol Drive

On Saturdays, buses will come every 19 to 20 minutes instead of every 16 to 17 minutes. Riders will have to wait three to four minutes longer from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Milwaukee bus routes previously scheduled to be canceled will keep regular service

On the bright side, MCTS will continue the current service levels on five routes that were previously scheduled for elimination. The routes that won't see changes are:

Route 11: Hampton Avenue
Route 22: Center Street
Route 24: Forest Home – 16th
Route 80: 6th Street
Route 88: Brown Deer Road

More changes to Milwaukee's bus routes coming in March

But starting in March, MCTS will reduce service on those routes. The following five routes will be affected:

Route 11: Hampton Avenue
Route 22: Center Street
Route 24: Forest Home – 16th
Route 80: 6th Street
Route 88: Brown Deer Road

Check back for more information or visit the MCTS website for more details.

Katherine Kokal is the education reporter at 89.7 WUWM - Milwaukee's NPR. Have a question about schools or an education story idea? You can reach her at kokal@uwm.edu