Milwaukee Transit Riders Call for Funding Restoration

Milwaukee Transit Riders Union and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 998 will be holding a press conference on Oct. 14, at noon outside of the Milwaukee County Courthouse calling on the county board to restore transit funding to improve transit running times with signal prioritization technology on the Red, Blue and Purple express routes.

The organizations also call on the county to address job and education access in Milwaukee by funding service for route 80X. Riders and drivers call on the county to begin to implement a comprehensive plan to install transit hubs across Milwaukee County.

“A bold vision is needed to address the lack of access to bathrooms for drivers and to provide an indoor waiting space for riders at key transfer points”  says Nick DeMarsh, Milwaukee Transit Rider organizer. “Riders often endure waiting times of 30-45 minutes or longer in freezing conditions” DeMarsh adds. Riders and drivers advocate for the first of these hubs at the ‘5 Points’ intersection where several key transit routes and the proposed route 80X will intersect.