Milwaukee County transit officials warn of multimillion-dollar shortfall; 15% service cuts and fare increase proposed

Milwaukee County Transit System President and CEO Steve Fuentes and MCTS staff told the County Board Committee on Finance that MCTS faces a material budget shortfall and has proposed a package of service reductions, fare changes and a pilot security program to help close the gap.

The agency projects it will exhaust remaining federal COVID relief funds and end 2025 with a projected $9.2 million deficit (reduced from an earlier $10.9 million projection), Fuentes said. To address the shortfall in the 2026 recommended budget, MCTS proposed reducing overall service by about 15 percent, eliminating six low‑ridership routes, modifying five other routes, adjusting frequencies on 22 routes and raising the adult cash fare from $2.00 to $2.75.

Why it matters: The proposed changes would concentrate service on higher‑frequency corridors that carry most riders but would remove or reduce service on routes used for jobs, medical trips and other day‑to‑day travel by transit‑dependent residents. County supervisors, transit operators and riders urged more detail and mitigation options during the hearing.

MCTS and county officials described the fiscal picture and the measures under consideration. Fuentes said federal COVID relief provided substantial one‑time support but that those funds are ending: “we are…