Changes are coming to MCTS bus routes this summer. Here's what you need to know

Alex Groth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The new Milwaukee County Transit System electric bus travels down the 'bus only' lane in the new bus route on Wisconsin Ave.
The new Milwaukee County Transit System electric bus travels down the 'bus only' lane in the new bus route on Wisconsin Ave.

Passengers can start taking Milwaukee County's Bus Rapid Transit line to the lakefront starting on June 2, the agency announced Wednesday.

The CONNECT 1 Bus Rapid Transit line will be extended to The Couture, on the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Lincoln Memorial Drive. Buses will stop at the transit concourse right next to The Hop streetcar L-Line.

Buses on Saturday will arrive every 10 minutes this summer to serve passengers traveling to summer festivals on the lakefront. Here's a look at the other MCTS changes happening this summer:

RELATED: You'll have some new ways to get to Summerfest this year

MCTS Route 18 will also expand service starting in June

Starting June 2, Route 18 will expand service to the Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired, at 445 S. Curtis Avenue.

Buses will run to IBVI every half hour on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. They will alternate between running to IBVI and the VisAbility Center.

After 6 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends, Route 18 buses will travel as they normally do along Greenfield, 124th, Washington, and 116th. New stops will be added on 116th at Washington Street and at Theo Trecker Way.

These MCTS routes will also see changes this summer:

  • Route 22: Service in the morning will improve to every 22 minutes, compared to 27 minutes. Service in the evening will improve to every 26 minutes, compared to 35 minutes.

  • Route 28: Will provide evening service every 40 minutes until 10 p.m., compared to 55 minutes.

  • Route 53: Will provide service every 26 minutes on Sunday afternoon, compared to 37 minutes. Eastbound trips will be added before 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

  • Route 54: Will provide service every 28 minutes on Sunday afternoon, compared to 37 minutes.

  • Route 55: Will provide an extra eastbound trip at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.

  • Route 56: Will provide service every 24 minutes on Sunday afternoon, compared to 37 minutes.

  • Route 21: Will end at Lake Drive and North Avenue due to end of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee school year.

  • Route 58: Trips before 5 a.m. on Saturday and after 12 a.m. on weekends have been eliminated because of low ridership.

  • Route 66: Will end at Humboldt Boulevard and Locust Street due to the end of the UWM school year.

What are the MCTS routes with detours this summer?

  • Route 15: will detour at the northern end in both directions due to construction on the Holton Street Bridge.

  • Route 35: will detour at the southern end in both directions due to reconstruction of the Loomis Road bridge over Interstate-894.

  • Route 66: will detour on the eastern end at 20th Street in both directions because of construction.

  • The RedLine: will detour at the eastern end in both directions because of construction on Downer Avenue between Capitol Drive and Edgewood Avenue.

For more information:

For more information, and to learn about boarding and route information, you can visit its website at ridemcts.com.

RELATED: What would you want to see as part of Milwaukee County's new bus line from Glendale to Oak Creek?

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee CONNECT BRT extends to lakefront in June; other MCTS changes

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