The Waukesha Transit Commission voted Jan. 9 to approve a package of route changes, effective June 2, that combines route 7 into route 8, removes a low‑ridership two‑mile loop north of Summit and discontinues service into the East Entrance of Waukesha Memorial Hospital.

Transit staff said the changes respond to falling ridership in the area north of Summit after the planned closure of UW–Milwaukee’s Waukesha campus this spring. “Once that shuts down, we would be going down to less than 1 trip a day on this loop,” Brian, a transit staff member presenting the proposal, said during the public hearing.

The changes will rename and consolidate existing weekend and weekday routings so the combined service will run more frequently along Summit and pick up most of the former route 7 alignment. As presented, the adjusted routing would not travel to the hospital’s east entrance; transit staff said turning there is a safety concern. Representatives from ProHealth — identified in the meeting as Dan and Tirzah in the audience — reviewed the change and “didn't have any concerns,” Brian said.

Commissioners were presented data showing route 7 is the system’s lowest‑performing route. “Route 7 generates less than 2% of our total ridership on an annual basis,” Brian said, and many individual trips on several routes carry fewer than two riders per day. Staff said the changes also include a number of minor reroutes (route 6 outbound staying on St. Paul to Kensington, route 15 shortened in the far south, and adjustments on routes 1–3 to concentrate service at major trip generators such as Woodman’s and Goodwill). The packet included a list of bus stops and a set of single‑trip eliminations for very low‑use trips.

Staff told the commission the changes are included in the agency’s adopted Financial Management Plan and estimated roughly $156,000 in operational cost savings in 2025 and more than $270,000 annually thereafter, plus about $700,000 in future capital savings by avoiding one vehicle replacement. Commissioners asked whether maintenance and insurance costs would also fall; staff agreed they should, because the changes reduce total vehicle miles and tire and insurance costs.

The commission opened a public hearing on the proposed changes at the start of the presentation and closed it before taking the approval vote. A motion to approve the proposed service changes carried unanimously: Cassins, Kevin Riley, O'Donnell and Alderman Eric Payne voted aye.

The commission directed staff to proceed with the changes as presented; staff said they will monitor impacts and had been answering questions submitted by email and at the Transit Center. The planned effective date, June 2, was chosen to follow the UW–Milwaukee Waukesha campus semester end earlier in the month.

Votes at a glance
• Item 6a, “Approve proposed service changes (effective June 2)” — Mover: Alderman Eric Payne; Second: Kevin Riley; Vote: Cassins aye, Kevin Riley aye, O'Donnell aye, Payne aye; Outcome: approved.