BHCW - MICAH - ACLU Bus Routes

The JobLines were created as part of a legal settlement between the State and U.S. Departments of Transportation and Milwaukee community organizations Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope  (MICAH), Black Health Coalition of WI, Inc. and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The settlement provided Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) and Waukesha Transit with four years of funding for these bus routes that connect the city of Milwaukee to major employment centers in the suburbs. Without investment from the State of Wisconsin and local governments, the JobLines will run out of funding at the end of 2018.

Route Information and Employers Served

● Route 6runs from Capitol Drive on the North Side of Milwaukee to Brookfield Square, then to two New Berlin Industrial Parks, with additional service shuttling between the Industrial Parks and Brookfield Square. Employers and businesses served: FedEx, Costco, Target, Walmart, Michaels, Froedtert Moorland Reserve Health Center, Moorland Square Shopping Center, Schoeneck Containers, CRC Concrete, and many others.

● Route 61runs west on Capitol Drive on the North Side of Milwaukee and then to the northwest on Appleton Avenue, to Menomonee Falls. Employers and businesses served: Menards, Walmart, Target, Pick ‘n Save, Costco, Steinhafels, HomeGoods, Joann Fabrics, Pepsi Co., Froedtert North Hills Health Center, Silverado Oak Village Memory Care Community, International Paper, Berenz Packaging, and many others.

Ridership Statistics(according to a recent UWM survey of JobLine passengers)

● 77% of riders use these routes to get to work or job interviews, and another 13% use them for shopping. 76% of employees use the routes to get to permanent jobs in the region.

● The JobLines were “extremely important” to 89% of respondents’ ability to find and keep a job. 45% of riders would leave their jobs if the routes were cancelled. 

● 81% of riders use the JobLines five or more days per week.

● 77% of riders do not have a driver’s license, and 89% do not have access to a car.

Operating Costs

Operating the two routes costs approximately $2.7 million per year (combined); fare revenues amount to about $300,000 per year. This means the net cost of running Routes 6 and 61 is a relatively modest $2.4 million per year, which in return connects over 1,000 riders each day to 150 employers and businesses. Currently, about 50% of the costs are incurred in Milwaukee County, and about 50% in Waukesha County.