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MCTS fare evasion, supervisors wants $600K
Two Milwaukee County supervisors said they have a new plan to tackle fare evasion on MCTS buses, adding security officers on certain routes.
MILWAUKEE - Two Milwaukee County supervisors said they have a new plan to tackle fare evasion on MCTS buses.
The backstory:
A FOX6 hidden-camera investigation found 33% of county bus riders did not pay their fares. And on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisconsin) cited the investigation as he introduced congressional legislation aimed at reducing fare evasion nationwide.
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What they're saying:
Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland has a plan to deal with the problem. He and fellow Supervisor Steve Taylor want to spend more than $600,000 next year to put MCTS security officers on high-evasion bus routes to remind riders to pony up.
"It’s more to have presence on the bus. If you see somebody that's, you know, wearing an MCTS safety and security uniform, you're less apt to just roll right by them and say, 'I'm not going to pay,'" Rolland said. "We have to make it less easy for people to choose fare evasion than it is right now."
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In a statement, MCTS said its proposed security plan for 2026 is aimed at safety – not fare evasion. However, the transit system statement did not address the new proposal.
What's next:
To pay for the pilot project, Rolland and Taylor want Milwaukee County to wait a year before replacing surveillance cameras at the jail, courthouse and safety building.
The proposed budget amendment will go before the full Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors on Friday, Oct. 24.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced prior coverage and interviewed Rolland.