September/October 2023 - 22

Milwaukee County Transit System's BRT
Charging station
As part of electric buses coming to the
CONNECT 1 Line, MCTS implemented
a charge management plan. The fleet is
charged overnight and an ABB-manufactured
charging station for topping off a
vehicle's charge was constructed by HNTB
along the BRT route in Wauwatosa at the
Park & Ride lot.
Every third lap, the buses go to the
charging station during a route's six-minute
layover. Reese notes the buses receive
a 30 percent charge at the layover before
proceeding to their next destination.
Ridership feedback
Despite only being open for a few months,
MCTS officials are seeing an increase
in public transit usage with the BRT. In
the first week of CONNECT 1 service,
the BRT line delivered approximately
16,800 rides.
The BRT line features service every 10
minutes on weekdays during peak times
and midday and every 15-30 minutes
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during off-peak hours. On the weekends,
CONNECT 1 runs every 15 minutes
during peak hours and 20-30 minutes
during off-peak hours.
" The feedback we're getting is overwhelmingly
very positive, " Schryver
noted. Riders are enjoying the silent
ride on the electric buses, as well as
the reliability. At every station, there's
a real-time sign that tells riders when
the next bus is coming and that's been
a welcomed feature. "
" We've seen entire families give the BRT
a try. We have a huge festival schedule,
and people really are enjoying riding it
to the lakefront festivals that Milwaukee
is known for, and what we're seeing is
people are building a new route into their
everyday life as part of what they're doing
in the community, " Schryver said.
" Having the opportunity to partner
with Milwaukee County on the first
BRT route in the state of Wisconsin
and help deliver a route that supports
economic development, greater access
to jobs and advances the region's overall
transportation network was special, "
Zabel said. 'It has been a great experience
being involved in this project from the
very beginning and helping the vision
become reality. "
Another BRT?
The CONNECT 1 BRT is not the only
BRT project MCTS is planning. Milwaukee
County is currently in the process of
planning its north-south BRT line, which
is scheduled to open in 2028. Construction
for the north-south BRT line is also
being done by HNTB.
Within the next decade, MCTS is hopeful
many of its residents will use one of
the two BRT lines for their everyday commutes
and personal needs.
" The CONNECT 1 BRT is the future
of public transit and the future of MCTS
and we can't wait to expand our BRT footprint
with the north-south BRT we are
planning to launch in 2028, " Schryver
commented.
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September/October 2023

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