MCTS Run Numbers

[flossman]

Hi all, I've been a Milwaukee resident and transit rider my whole life (grandfather was an MCTS operator, so we grew up with the bus system and using them to get anywhere we needed to go), and I was just wondering the if anyone knows the pattern for MCTS run numbers.

I'm assuming the first number refers to the garage they came from, and the most I can figure out is that 3xx means it came from 35th and Fond Du Lac. 1xx might be KK, but I'm not sure. Just wondering!

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help a curious guy out!

[rmadisonwi]

You're correct that the first digit indicates the garage. 100s are KK, 200s are Fiebrantz, and 300s are Fond du Lac.

The numbers are actually "block" numbers (which identify the "vehicle block"), and are based on the pull-out order for the block's assigned route. For example, the first bus on route 15 would be run 101, the second pullout would be 102, etc.

On route 10, the first FDL pullout would be 301, while the first Fiebrantz pullout would be 201.

PM pull-outs are given numbers starting at 51 for each garage. So, the first afternoon pull-out on a route from Fond du Lac would be 351, for example.

A couple of years ago, Fond du Lac's run numbers switched to the 300 series. Before that, they were two-digit run numbers (below 100). Even earlier than that, in 2005, Fiebrantz actually had run numbers starting at 61 (I believe their PM pullouts started at either 81 or 91...or maybe even 86, can't remember).

Fiebrantz's switch from the 61-99 run numbers into the 200-series run numbers coincided with a conversion of the system's scheduling software from Trapeze to HASTUS (there was no technical reason requiring the switch, but the change in software made for a convenient opportunity to do so). This change gave both FDL and Fiebrantz more "room" for run numbers. Prior to that switch, as well, the PM trippers for FDL and KK started at 41/141, instead of 51.

I'm not familiar with the official reasons for changing the Fond du Lac run numbers from the 0-99 series into the 300-series.

The block number may not correspond entirely to the route a bus is operating. A bus may be scheduled to operate several routes over the course of a day from pull-out to pull-in, but it will only get one block number. It is assigned based on the route on which the bus spends the most time. For example, 23-301 may operate a trip on route 31, but most of its day is on route 23. So, it's possible to see two buses on route 31 at the same time, both carrying 301 in the run box. One might be 23-301, and the other might be 31-301 (or even 21-301, or whatever).

One pet peeve of mine is that any destination signs created in the last 5-7 years or so actually have a glitch in their program where, on the green flip-dot signs (4300 and 4400 series buses), the run box will actually show the route number instead of the run number. This problem does not affect the LED sign buses (at least, not that I've seen). Signs that haven't changed in a long time (an example might be "15 BAYSHORE") will display the run number correctly, but more recent signs (such as "15 DREXEL via 5th" which was created to replace the "COLUMBIA via 5th" sign) will show the route number (in this case, 15) in the run box. That's how it was, at least, the last time I noticed the signs, which was a few months ago. It's possible that they've fixed this glitch, but doubtful.

On a tangentially-related note, I did recently note that they've changed route 30's eastbound destination signs to actually reflect UWM as the end of the route ("30 UWM via MARYLAND" and "30 UWM via DOWNER"). It only took MCTS 35 years to recognize on its signs that route 30 serves UWM.