EXPLAINERS

Milwaukee's bus system

Who owns it, who pays for it, and who decides what runs.
01
The parts

Who is behind what

Photo of two Milwaukee County Transit System buses heading east on West Wisconsin Avenue downtown in 2018. The front bus is signed Gold to UWM and has a bike on its rack. Numbers 1 to 4 mark the bus, the fare, the driver’s seat and the street.

1. The bus

Owned by Milwaukee County, which also owns the garages and sets the transit budget.

2. The fare

Pay with the Umo app, a WisGo card, a tapped bank card or phone, or cash. Fares bring in about 1/8 of MCTS revenue.

3. The driver

Works for Milwaukee Transport Services, which has run the county’s buses since 1975.

4. The street

Wisconsin Avenue belongs to the City of Milwaukee, not the county.

Photo: Han Zheng, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Recolored and numbered by SHIFT MKE; this version is also CC BY-SA 2.0. MCTS buses on W. Wisconsin Ave., 2018.
02
The money
2025 actual revenue,
buses and paratransit
$186,265,233

Where the money comes from

38%STATE27%LOCAL20%FEDERAL13%RIDERS3%OTHER
State of WisconsinMostly transit aid, a dollar amount the Legislature writes into each state budget, plus smaller state grants.$69,967,40037.6%
Local sourcesMoney from local governments, mainly Milwaukee County. MCTS does not list what is inside it. The county’s main sources for transit are its property tax and its $30 vehicle registration fee, the “wheel tax,” which is expected to raise about $17 million for transit in 2026.$50,717,62327.2%
Federal governmentMostly a yearly federal transit grant that city bus systems get by formula, based on population and how much service they run. The county budgets about $31 million of it for 2026. Federal rules let big-city systems spend it on new buses and on keeping buses in repair, but not on most other day-to-day costs, like drivers’ pay. In 2025 this also included COVID relief money.$36,443,00019.6%
RidersFares and passes, paid by card, app or cash.$24,219,93913.0%
OtherMoney that is not fares or government aid. MCTS does not list it item by item, but it does sell ads on its buses and bus shelters.$4,917,2722.6%

State aid has barely grown

The state is still the biggest single source. Its transit aid was cut in the 2011 state budget and is still below its 2011 level. Federal pandemic aid, about $192 million since 2020, helped cover shortfalls. It is running out: in its summer 2026 budget request, the county expected only about $2.4 million to be left for 2027.

2025 is the most recent full year of actual revenue available, from the MCTS 2025 Annual Report. MCTS does not define its categories. The descriptions above come from the county budget, federal transit data and the MCTS website. It counts money differently from the county budget, so the totals do not match. Its five line items add to $1 more than its stated total, a rounding difference. Shares are rounded.

03
The decisions
D Lit = decidesP Letters only = proposes Blank = no role

Who decides what

Decision
County
Executive
County
Board
State of
Wisconsin
Transport
Services
County voters elect these two
Out of the six decisions above
The County Executive can veto what the County Board passes, and 12 of 18 supervisors can override the veto. Milwaukee Transport Services has its own five-member board: three county transportation leaders, one county supervisor and the head of the bus system. A 2026 county audit found that big contracts, like a multi-year paratransit deal, were signed without a vote by that board or the County Board.
04
The calendar

Yearly schedule

Repeats every year

Each fall the county writes the budget for the next year. For example, the 2027 budget was proposed in October 2026, gets its final votes in November 2026, and takes effect January 1, 2027.

    Most bus service is set by the budget passed the fall before, but cuts can still come mid-year, as they did in 2025. Big route changes, like a network redesign, also need their own County Board vote.
    05
    The limits

    What the county cannot change on its own

    06
    Your turn

    How you can have a say

    Most of the decisions above are made by people you elect, and the county has to take public comment.

    Vote for the people who decide

    Register and see your ballotMYVOTE.WI.GOV
    You vote inApril

    County Executive

    Elected countywide, every 4 years
    Regular elections
    2026202820302032

    If the office opens early, it can be filled before the next regular election.

    Proposes
    • What a ride costs
    • Which routes run, and how often
    • How much county property tax goes to transit

    Can veto what the County Board passes, or parts of the budget.

    Proposes 3 of 6
    You vote inApril

    Your county supervisor

    One of 18, elected by district, every 2 years
    On the ballot
    2026202820302032
    Decides
    • What a ride costs
    • Which routes run, and how often
    • How much county property tax goes to transit

    Twelve of 18 can override a veto.

    Decides 3 of 6
    You vote inNovember

    Governor and state legislators

    Even-numbered years only
    Governor
    2026202820302032
    Legislators
    2026202820302032

    Assembly members serve 2 years. Senators serve 4, with half the seats on each ballot.

    Decides
    • How much money the state sends for buses
    • What kinds of taxes the county is allowed to charge
    Decides 2 of 6
    Stoprequested

    Speak up between elections

    Four stops on the way to being heard.

    1

    Find your supervisor

    Look yours up at findyourcountysupervisor.com or call the County Board office at (414) 278-4222. Any supervisor can file a budget amendment.

    2

    Write in

    Each committee agenda item has an online comment link (eComment). Sign in with a free account first, or leave a voicemail at (414) 278-4230.

    3

    Speak at a committee

    Transit items go to the Committee on Transportation and Transit. Testify in person at the Courthouse, or online with Microsoft Teams.

    4

    Watch for hearings

    The budget gets public hearings each fall. Federal law also requires public comment before a fare increase or major service cut (49 U.S.C. § 5307(c)(1)(I)). Watch ridemcts.com.