Quarterly Service Change Process ("the Pick")
MCTS updates routes and schedules four times a year during quarterly “picks,” when operators choose their routes for the upcoming quarter. Picks run: Spring (Mar–May), Summer (Jun–Aug), Fall (Sep–Nov), Winter (Dec–Feb). Proposed changes must be submitted at least two months before each pick begins.
Each proposal is reviewed using MCTS design guidelines, then evaluated by internal teams. Street Operations checks that buses can safely navigate any new routing, while Scheduling determines how many buses and operators are needed and whether the change fits the budget.
Major service changes also require review by the Committee on Transportation and Transit and approval by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. MCTS must show that major service changes comply with federal requirements for transit agencies. See MCTS's Title VI Plan for major service change definitions and requirements.
As changes are approved, MCTS updates schedules, maps, and signage; communicates changes through web, social, and onboard announcements; and trains operators. We also coordinate with municipalities on bus stop locations, signs, shelters, and related street infrastructure.