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Milwaukee County transit faces $14.3 million shortfall; service cuts, fare increase and vehicle-registration fee hike proposed
Summary
County officials say the Milwaukee County Transit System faces a structural budget gap that the 2026 recommended budget addresses with route eliminations, service reductions, a fare increase and a potential rise in the vehicle-registration fee; officials and supervisors discussed the tradeoffs and longer-term risks.
Milwaukee County officials told the Committee on Finance that the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) faces a growing structural shortfall that the recommended 2026 budget addresses with service cuts, a fare increase and possible higher local fees.
The county’s budget overview by Steven Cady, director of research and policy for the Office of the Comptroller, said the transit gap for 2026 is about $14,300,000 and that officials plan to close that shortfall through a combination of route eliminations, service changes and a fare increase. The recommended changes include eliminating six routes, modifying five more routes, cutting frequency on others and raising bus fares from $2.00 to $2.75 in the county’s projection of revenue…
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