MCTS Bus Route Changes
Posted In Categories: Living with Vision Loss
MCTS has implemented route changes as of early March, 2021. Routes affected are Routes 15, 19, 31, 33, 35 and 52. Below are details on all of these changes. More information can be found on the MCTS web site.
Route 15
Route 15 will become a high frequency route – meaning buses will arrive every 15 minutes on weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Buses will run more frequently on Saturdays while Sunday service will be similar to what it is today.
Route 15’s routing on the north end will be shortened to end at Capitol Drive and Richards Street instead of operating on Port Washington Road to Bayshore.
Route 15’s routing on the south end will be adjusted. Buses will travel south along 10th Avenue and Chicago Avenue, ending at Chicago & Drexel.
Route 19
Route 19’s high frequency service will be expanded to include the S. 13th Street branch. This means that buses will arrive every 15 minutes on weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. along the entire route from Florist Avenue to Zellman Court.
Service on the S. 20th Street branch between National Avenue and College Avenue will be replaced by a new route, Route 20 (see Route 20 details).
Route 19 will no longer service National Avenue, S. 2nd Street or Plankinton Avenue. Buses will instead run on 6th Street between Greenfield Avenue and Kilbourn Avenue in order to shorten travel times.
Route 31 (State-Highland)
Route 31’s routing will be adjusted so that it only operates on Highland Boulevard, State Street, Watertown Plank Road and Mayfair Road between downtown and Mayfair Mall.
Service on State Street and Watertown Plank Road will be extended to Mayfair Mall via Mayfair Road.
Route 31’s service on Vliet Street and Milwaukee Avenue will be removed, but Route 33 (Vliet-84th) will be extended from 60th to Harwood Avenue to maintain bus service on these streets (see Route 33 details). Route 31’s service on Ludington Avenue and North Avenue will be removed due to low ridership.
Route 33 (Vliet-84th)
Route 33, which previously ended its westbound service at 60th and Vliet, will be extended. Westbound buses will travel on Milwaukee Avenue, Harwood Avenue, and Harmonee Avenue and then south via Glenview Avenue and S. 84th Street to Greenfield Avenue. The route will then travel east to 76th and south to National Avenue.
These changes will expand connections to downtown Wauwatosa, State Fair Park, and downtown West Allis.
Buses on Vliet Street will run as often as they do today. Buses on Glenview Avenue and S. 84thStreet will run more frequently – 30 to 35 minutes as opposed to 50 to 60 minutes.
Route 35 (35th Street)
Route 35 will become a high frequency route – meaning buses will arrive every 15 minutes on weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Weekend service will run as often as it does today.
Route 35’s routing on the south end will be extended past Howard Avenue. Southbound buses will travel southwest on Loomis Road and then west on Layton Avenue to S. 60th Street.
Northbound buses will then use the freeway to get back to Loomis Road, resuming the regular northbound routing.
Route 52 (Clement-Pennsylvania)
Route 52 will be adjusted to become a Daytime route, meaning buses will run from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. seven days a week.
Weekend service will run more frequently than it does today.
For more detailed information on route changes, visit the MCTS web site.