The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS), Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH) and Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin (BHCW) recently held a press conference to officially launch “JobLines.”
It’s been three years since Routes 6 and 61 were launched after an award from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The dedicated routes connect the inner city of Milwaukee with job centers in Waukesha County and the rebranding of the lines as JobLines underscores the vital role they have played in advancing the region’s economic development.
Formally known as Routes 6 and 61, JobLines play a vital role in advancing the region’s economic development by providing thousands of Milwaukee’s central city residents with immediate access to employment opportunities at more than 150 employers in Waukesha and Washington Counties.
Reverend Willie Brisco, president emeritus of MICAH, said while the award from the DOT was a 3-year award, they are trying, they are hopeful, they are optimistic to further this initiative. With ridership up to nearly 1,000 rides per day, it’s a service that is providing access to jobs for many people from the inner city.
As an employer along one of the routes, FedEx Assistant Hub Manager Jarret Fisher said Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) worked with their HR department for the bus line to come at the times employees needed to be there. “It accommodates our sort times and there are about 100 people a day that use the JobLines,” he said.
One of those employees, Antonishia Davis, said she’s thrilled to be able to have the job she does, working for a great company and having the transportation to get there. She said, “The bus drivers are friendly and they get us to work on time.” She added, “It’s convenient and a way for people to make it to their job and expand their growth.”
The vision was creating potential employees in Milwaukee County with employers in Waukesha, explained Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. Today, he said they are providing an average of 1,000 daily rides to 150 different employers. “I love that we’re calling this JobLines because it is about jobs.
“It’s about getting people to work but in a way, we could just as accurately call it “life lines” because that is the service that is being provided.”
The other element that is important, he said, is ongoing support. An ongoing solution to maintain support for transit. “We have a lot of need,” he said. “ … and we’re both getting less for transit funding than we were many years ago. We both see transit funding as an important part – a crucial part – of economic development.
“You don’t have to speculate. We started this route just recently, a couple years ago, and like I said, an average of almost 1,000 rides per day, 150 employers and a lot of people whom this is the difference between having a job or not.”
On MCTS’ web page with JobLines route information, there is also a link to the employers along the lines that are hiring – currently more than 130 listed. More information at http://www.ridemcts.com/programs/joblines.
