Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) wrote to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to strengthen oversight and accountability measures for local transit agencies following reports that Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) lost approximately $4 million in revenue in 2024 to bus evasion. Recent findings indicate MCTS riders skipped paying fares more than 8 million times in 2025, nearly one-third of all trips. MCTS received $57.24 million in federal transit funding in 2023.
“Federal funds are intended to strengthen and sustain public transportation, not to compensate for avoidable revenue shortfalls caused by lax fare enforcement,” said Steil. “Fare evasion not only pushes MCTS toward insolvency, but it is fundamentally unfair to the hardworking families who rely on public transportation, follow the rules, and pay their fares. I’m committed to ensuring taxpayer dollars are being used effectively.”
Click HERE to read the full letter.
Background:
- In June, MCTS indicated that the system had a $10.9 million dollar deficit due to “unexpected expenses and lower passenger revenue.” Despite this shortfall, MCTS indicates that ridership has actually grown in recent years.
- MCTS lost approximately $4 million in revenue due to fair evasion in 2024.
- Public statements made by MCTS indicate that the system stopped requiring bus operators to engage in fare enforcement process and to “no longer ask for fare” from riders.
- Concerns about the solvency of MCTS have been documented by policy reports dating back to 2008 and more recently in 2023.
- According to the FTA National Transit Database, Milwaukee County received $57.24 million in federal transit funding in 2023.
