Wisconsin's Urban Transit Systems

Public transit is a major player in helping Wisconsin workers reach jobs in addition to helping people reach shopping, schools and homes:

• Public transit systems--consisting of fixed-route busor or shared-ride taxi services--operate in more than 60 Wisconsin communities and carry more than 76 million passengers annually.
• Public transit plays an important role in the success of Wisconsin's W2 (Wisconsin Works) program, providing a safe and reliable means of transportation necessary to establish and maintain employment.
• Wisconsin transit systems consistently outperform their peers nationally according to analysis performed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.  Milwaukee, for example, had a 60% higher farebox recovery ratio, 15% lower cost per revenue hour, and 89% more riders per capita compared to similar systems across the U.S.
• The 12 bus systems in Wisconsin's urbanized areas of 50,000-200,000 had a 7% higher farebox recovery ratio, 4% lower cost per revenue hour, and 8% more riders per capita compared to its peers across the U.S.
• The American Public Transit Association ranked Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) the #1 transit system nationwide.  The state's largest transit system, MCTS has 535 buses, 72 routes and a ridership of more than 52 million annually.