The nine-mile route covers the city’s busiest east-west corridor and will offer free rides through the summer.
Milwaukee celebrated the opening of its first bus rapid transit (BRT) line last weekend, reports Graham Kilmer in Urban Milwaukee. “The system promises faster travel times through a mix of dedicated lanes, traffic signal priority, off-bus ticketing and dedicated stations.”
The nine-mile line uses electric buses, promises headways of 10 to 15 minutes, and will offer free rides until the end of September. The BRT stations feature “glass shelters, elevated platforms, digital signs showing real-time bus arrivals and off-bus fare validators.” Connect 1 runs parallel to Interstate 94.
According to the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS), “Ridership will be fueled by activity generators within the half-mile station area around the route including: 9 colleges and universities and 8 high schools, 48,900 residents, 110,700 jobs, 200 businesses with 100 or more employees, 8 medical facilities, 25+ hotels, and countless attractions including the county zoo, American Family Field, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee Art Museum and Summerfest.”
FULL STORY: Milwaukee’s First Bus Rapid Transit Line Is Open for Business
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Why BRT Can Benefit Cities More Than Rail
Bus rapid transit lines offer a less expensive, quicker-build alternative to rail that can bring other infrastructure improvements with it.
North Carolina’s First BRT Line Breaks Ground
Raleigh’s mayor calls the new rapid transit line “a game changer” for local mobility.
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research