MILWAUKEE – Today, County Executive David Crowley announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $21 million in grant funding to the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). This federal grant was awarded through the USDOT Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program and will be used to improve rider experience and public transit service operations along the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) PurpleLine transit corridor.
“I will partner and collaborate with anyone to deliver results and investments for Milwaukee County. That’s why I am proud we are bringing home federal funds to support our residents who are traveling to work, school, healthcare, and other essential services,” said County Executive Crowley. “Thank you to our federal partners for recognizing the importance of this investment. I look forward to these improvements enhancing service and accessibility for all road users along this key public transit corridor that will support economic growth and public safety for years to come.”
The 18-mile PurpleLine (North-South 27th Street), one of Milwaukee County’s most heavily utilized bus routes, serves more than 1.2 million riders each year in Oak Creek, Franklin, Greenfield, Milwaukee, and Glendale. Grant funding will be used to improve transit accessibility and travel times across the 27th Street corridor, offering residents the ability to connect to over 50,000 jobs across all employment sectors and improving access to essential services.
BUILD grant fund improvements along the PurpleLine corridor will include:
- Traffic signal optimization to improve transit travel times by up to 31%. Buses will be fitted with transmitters that alter red light phasing to stay green or turn green when buses reach a signaled intersection.
- New bus shelters at 69 bus stops to improve the customer experience prior to boarding; 15 of the stops identified are currently without a shelter.
- Bus islands and sidewalk landing areas that will improve boarding and alighting.
- Raised transit platforms at select high ridership stops to better accommodate riders with mobility issues.
- Traffic calming measures to increase safety for all road users, including transit users, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.
MCTS looks forward to design and stakeholder coordination in the years ahead, with implementation anticipated in 2027.
USDOT’s BUILD grant program provides grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. The BUILD program, previously known as the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grants, was established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and operated under annual appropriations acts until authorized in November 2021.
