MCTS projected budget gap plans, public input sought
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee County transit leaders will begin seeking public input this week on service reduction plans being considered to close a projected $15 million budget gap.
Public input sought
Why you should care:
The Milwaukee County Transit System went before the county board’s Transit Committee on Wednesday morning and detailed the plans created by a consultant: focus on ridership while reducing routes, or maximize service coverage with longer wait times.
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"My hope is we don't have to go this route. I'm simply forecasting, ‘There's a hurricane coming, everyone needs to buy up plywood and board up your windows,’" system CEO Steven Fuente said about the MCTS Forward initiative. "My hope is we avert the crisis, and we find the funding we need; we work with this new state legislature, and we get increased state mass transit funding, federal levels stay the same, and we have a long, sustainable future. That is my hope."
What you can do:
MCTS will begin courting public input on the plans through a series of events throughout the county, running from Sept. 18 through Oct 24. The public can also learn about the plans, and weigh in online.
MCTS bus fare evasion drops, major service cuts loom
MCTS said it is making progress on fare evasion, but transit leaders are still preparing to introduce a plan that calls for a 25% cut in bus service.
Projected budget deficit
Dig deeper:
Each year, tens of thousands of people use Milwaukee County’s transit system to get to work, school, run errands or simply get around town. Because of expiring pandemic relief funds that helped support the system, MCTS says operating costs are outpacing revenue – in-part because of fare evasion. Without changes, MCTS is projecting a $15.7 million budget deficit for 2027. MCTS Forward would reduce service by 25%, to keep a balanced budget over the next three years.
"What I would love to do for Milwaukee County, here at MCTS, is take the coverage concept and add in the frequency, from the ridership concept. That would be ideal – that's going to take a lot of funding," Fuentes told county supervisors.
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"There isn’t anybody here that wants any cuts," said County Supervisor Steve Shea. "The problem, it always comes down to money. And the state hasn’t been doing its duty of giving us our own fair share of our own tax money."
When will a decision be reached?
What's next:
A decision is still a ways off, but will need to be selected in the coming months. It will depend on the funding allocated in the county executive’s proposed budget and what’s ultimately approved by the county board.
"The concepts, unfortunately, are going to hurt us, either way," Amalgated Transit Union 998 President Bruce Freeman told the committee, questioning the plans and how it would impact people who rely on the system the most.
"If we can’t come up with creative measures to come up with money, to fund transportation, we're – unfortunately – going to be stuck with one of these concepts. Either way – I know for sure the public's not going to be happy."
The Source: FOX6 News attended Wednesday's committee meeting and referenced information from the Milwaukee County Transit System and prior coverage of the system's budget considerations.