Milwaukee County Transit System

[ctrabs74]

Now that the 5500s are in service, what's the oldest remaining series of New Flyers in Milwaukee? I'm guessing the 4600s or 4700s.

[Juniorz]

The 4600-series are currently the oldest and are slowly being retired. The 5600-series (5600-5618) will be arriving in 2015. A manufacturer hasn't been chosen yet but it's expected to be New Flyer but another XCESLOR series is unknown at this point

[Busjack]

The 4600-series are currently the oldest and are slowly being retired. The 5600-series (5600-5618) will be arriving in 2015. A manufacturer hasn't been chosen yet but it's expected to be New Flyer but another XCESLOR series is unknown at this point

The NF announcement was here. So, unless MCTS exhausted its options or wants something else, you know what you will get.

[Juniorz]

State CMAQ grants were awared for projects that included new transit projects. Those projects included an order of 19 Clean Diesel Buses which was announced by the WISDot on April 17th and approved by the Milwaukee County Transit Committee Meeting on May 7th. This is A NEW order that will be in the bidding process soon.

[Juniorz]

The NF announcement was here. So, unless MCTS exhausted its options or wants something else, you know what you will get.

This was LAST year's order. The 1st 55 order (5400-5454) came in June 2013. The second order came in January (5500-5534) exercising the 90 New Flyer Order.

[MetroShadow]

The 4600-series are currently the oldest and are slowly being retired. The 5600-series (5600-5618) will be arriving in 2015. A manufacturer hasn't been chosen yet but it's expected to be New Flyer but another XCESLOR series is unknown at this point

Should be between the 4600's (which are still running decently) and the 1000 Gillig's for Route 143. Those should be on their way out as well.

[Juniorz]

Should be between the 4600's (which are still running decently) and the 1000 Gillig's for Route 143. Those should be on their way out as well.

Well if you want to be technical, the Gilligs have been in operation since the morning of May 1st 2002.

[ctrabs74]

As for the outsourcing controversy, the Milwaukee County Supervisors' Transportation, Public Works & Transit Committee narrowly passed Resolution 14-312 by a 4-3 vote at their regular May 7 meeting regarding the direction the planned outsourcing of MCTS.

MCTS will being operating a new Route 279 between the Park Place Industrial Park in Milwaukee County to the Menomonee Falls Industrial Park in Waukesha County starting August 24. The 279 bus is being funded by Wisconsin DOT as part of a settlement between WisDOT and a couple of activist organizations (a suit that MCTS was not a party to) and will operate via SR 145/100. The TPWT committee approved the project by a 7-0 vote at a special meeting last Tuesday (Resolution 14-466).

The full Board of Supervisors were expected to address both resolutions at last Thursday's meetings. The county website has not been updated to reflect the outcomes of those votes as of this weekend.

[Juniorz]

Last Tuesday Special meeting will be posted later this week with the resolution passing (presumably)

[Busjack]

As for the outsourcing controversy, the Milwaukee County Supervisors' Transportation, Public Works & Transit Committee narrowly passed Resolution 14-312 by a 4-3 vote at their regular May 7 meeting regarding the direction the planned outsourcing of MCTS.

.....

Looks like

WHEREAS, we decided not to decide much of anything. There were all the WHEREASes about how it should be a county department, but then it wasn't to be.

[ctrabs74]

Looks like

WHEREAS, we decided not to decide much of anything. There were all the WHEREASes about how it should be a county department, but then it wasn't to be.

Government at work... But, yeah, that's a fair assessment of the resolution.

[See Tea Eh]

MCTS will being operating a new Route 279 between the Park Place Industrial Park in Milwaukee County to the Menomonee Falls Industrial Park in Waukesha County starting August 24. The 279 bus is being funded by Wisconsin DOT as part of a settlement between WisDOT and a couple of activist organizations (a suit that MCTS was not a party to) and will operate via SR 145/100. The TPWT committee approved the project by a 7-0 vote at a special meeting last Tuesday (Resolution 14-466).

Thrown together so quickly the map was a Google Maps screenshot.

What's really sad, though, is that Wisconsin spends billions on these damn highway projects that push development further and further out, at the expense of those left in the inner city, then they run some crappy bus service to serve these industrial and office parks, service which inevitably gets cut in the next budget shortfall. From what I can tell, this service used to exist, basically as part of the old route 106. It takes a lawsuit to get the state to fund transit, but they'll throw a couple billion onto a highway expansion project without blinking an eye.

Seen it all before. I'm not specifically familiar with the terms of the lawsuit (i.e. how long does the service have to last). It might be in the county board documents, but I didn't dig in too deeply, but if the past is any indicator, the route will either go away as soon as the mandate for it ends, or maybe a couple years later (essentially, the first budget cut following the end of the mandate).

[Busjack]

...

Seen it all before. I'm not specifically familiar with the terms of the lawsuit (i.e. how long does the service have to last).....

I don't know if that's the case, since Scott Walker killed the KRM (which, like all the new starts wasn't going anywhere) and diverted the state share to save MCTS a couple of years ago. Even Walker's biggest enemy on this forum acknowledged as much.

In the meantime, Chicago keeps blowing consultant money on similar CTA endeavors.

[busfan2]

A portion of the lawsuit settlement here.

"WHEREAS,
the proposed settlement will make about $2.875 million available to MCTS
annually from 2014 to 2018 for transit
routes and related services specific to the settlement agreement; and

WHEREAS,
WisDOT is also planning to provide an additional $500,000 annually for
marketing efforts related to these routes; and

WHEREAS, at this time, WisDOT is proposing to
fund additional transit service during the reconstruction of the Zoo
Interchange, with a focus on creating new local or express routes, or extending
existing transit services from Milwaukee to locations within western,
northwestern, or southwestern Milwaukee County or within Waukesha and
Washington Counties;
and

WHEREAS, at this time, an initial route-specific contract is
being developed between WisDOT and MCTS to fund a reverse commute express
service route from the central city to Park Place Business Park in Milwaukee
County and the Menomonee Falls industrial park in Waukesha County"

This was copied from the resolution. After 2018 we will see if this is still funded by Milwaukee County.

[mkebusfan88]

Apparently Route 55 (Layton Avenue) is being extended west of 76th Street and Southridge Mall down Layton Avenue to 108th Street and the Hales Corners Park & Ride. Yet there's no advertisement on the MCTS web site or anything. I didn't know until I picked up a new Route 55 schedule.

[Juniorz]

That's been known since March & the official press release sent on May 20th addressed this extension

[mkebusfan88]

You think they would at least put something about it in the June issue of BusLines. How do you expect to get ridership when you don't advertise it on buses? Route 51's little 4 block extension from Oklahoma and Superior to the Marian Center a few years ago got more attention than this

[Juniorz]

Well route 55 also is getting extended service hours operating up to midnight daily. Agreed more advertising was needed as this extension is one of the better moves MCTS is making. But when you're news letter focuses more on summer festivities instead of system improvements, you begin to see my drift.

[mkebusfan88]

They just put a little thing on the MCTS website about it. Agreed, good move on MCTS part.

[ctrabs74]

I didn't see a lot of old-style New Flyers (4700s through 5000s) when I was in Milwaukee this past Tuesday. A vast majority of buses that I saw in Downtown and on the State Fair buses were the D40LFRs (5100s to 5300s) and the Xcelsiors (5400s and 5500s). Those Milwaukee Xcelsiors are probably the best buses I've been on in a long time. The paint scheme looks sharp, especially on the 5400s/5500s. I like how with some of the outbound route rear sign displays on the 5400s and 5500s show the destination (I'm sure that's probably a work in progress as not all routes had them), but it's helpful to say the least.

I think I only saw a couple 4700s left in the old paint scheme running, and I'd suspect most of the older New Flyers are being phased out.

I can only imagine how much better the system will be next year when the BusTime and M-Card projects are complete.

[busfan2]

The destination shown on the rear destination signs are only used when the route has a branch. For example route 19 has two southbound destinations. Southbound front destination sign reads: 19 KING DR-SOUTH 13TH "flip" to COLLEGE VIA 13TH and the corresponding rear sign: 19 "flip" via 13TH. The other southbound sign is 19 KING DR-SOUTH 20TH "flip" to COLLEGE VIA 20TH and the corresponding rear sign: 19 "flip" via 20th. The northbound route 19: 19 KING DRIVE "flip" to SILVER SPRING and the corresponding rear sign is 19. Most of the older buses are being repainted to the new scheme. The 4600s are 12 years old and I'm seeing fewer of those. There are approximately 50 4700s, I think there about 30 4800s, 14 4900s, 8 5000s, 90 5100s, 35 5200s, 55 5300s, 55 5400s, 35 5500s. Those are rough guesses.

[ctrabs74]

The destination shown on the rear destination signs are only used when the route has a branch. For example route 19 has two southbound destinations. Southbound front destination sign reads: 19 KING DR-SOUTH 13TH "flip" to COLLEGE VIA 13TH and the corresponding rear sign: 19 "flip" via 13TH. The other southbound sign is 19 KING DR-SOUTH 20TH "flip" to COLLEGE VIA 20TH and the corresponding rear sign: 19 "flip" via 20th. The northbound route 19: 19 KING DRIVE "flip" to SILVER SPRING and the corresponding rear sign is 19. Most of the older buses are being repainted to the new scheme. The 4600s are 12 years old and I'm seeing fewer of those. There are approximately 50 4700s, I think there about 30 4800s, 14 4900s, 8 5000s, 90 5100s, 35 5200s, 55 5300s, 55 5400s, 35 5500s. Those are rough guesses.

I didn't even see any 4600s on Tuesday. That said, I would like to see MCTS do that for all routes, much like Charlotte does for most of their routes as it's really useful, especially on routes that run crosstown through downtown Milwaukee (such as the 10 and 23).

[busfan2]

I didn't even see any 4600s on Tuesday. That said, I would like to see MCTS do that for all routes, much like Charlotte does for most of their routes as it's really useful, especially on routes that run crosstown through downtown Milwaukee (such as the 10 and 23).

Maybe someday we will see that. I would like to see destination signs on the left side. I saw some buses with those in Washington DC and I like that idea as a pedestrian or bus rider when approaching the bus from the left.

Sorry for the picture being blurry.

[Busjack]

Maybe someday we will see that. I would like to see destination signs on the left side. I saw some buses with those in Washington DC and I like that idea as a pedestrian or bus rider when approaching the bus from the left.

DSC00384.JPG

Sorry for the picture being blurry.

Pace has had them on the left side since 2003, and the ones received last year have full signs on the back. However, other than buses in the Elgin Terminal facing so that the left side faces the waiting room, I don't see the point of either. Are there that many people running to catch the bus?

[busfan2]

Pace has had them on the left side since 2003, and the ones received last year have full signs on the back. However, other than buses in the Elgin Terminal facing so that the left side faces the waiting room, I don't see the point of either. Are there that many people running to catch the bus?

I didn't know that. I usually get to Chicago on the Amtrak so I don't generally see the Pace buses. Sometimes I'm the one running and that's my own fault but as for others? Probably not many on further thought.