Community Outreach

MCTS cares about the well-being of our community. Our community outreach efforts seek to contribute to the quality of life for all through our initiatives, participation in community events and educational opportunities.

MCTS Community Initiatives

3 kids waving

Get on Board for Transit

Join us as we host “edutainment” opportunities across Milwaukee County to show riders and non-riders alike how easy, convenient and affordable it is to ride with MCTS.

Celebrate Responsibly with Miller Lite Free Rides

Thanks to Miller Lite Free Rides®, MCTS provides a safe way to get to and from destinations via MCTS routes on New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day.

Stop Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking Awareness & Prevention

Human trafficking happens all around us, every day of the year. And, when high-profile conventions or sporting events bring thousands of people to a city like Milwaukee, human trafficking increases. MCTS is working with several local groups and organizations to bring more awareness of this issue. Public transportation, including train and air travel, are often used to deliver people to customers.

Community Events

The Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts

The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts has hosted one of Milwaukee’s and the nation’s oldest celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday since 1984. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration held on the third Sunday of January highlights the youth in our community who interpret Dr. King’s words through art, speech, and writing contests. MCTS has been a proud partner and sponsor of this celebration since 2014, which includes MCTS's special tribute to Dr. King, Rosa Parks and local trailblazers with exhibit, “On This Journey…Civil Rights Pioneers on the Road to Freedom and Equality.”

Juneteenth Day Parade and Festival

Milwaukee hosts one of the longest-running Juneteenth Day celebrations in the nation. Juneteenth Day commemorates the day of June 19,1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two and half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became official in 1863. Many rejoiced instantly at the news of “Juneteenth Day” and the celebration continued to grow and grow. Locally, MCTS has been a sponsor of Northcott Neighborhood’s Annual Juneteenth Day Parade and Festival as well as its Little Miss and Miss Juneteenth Day Pageant since 2004.

Stuff the Bus

Through, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s Stuff the Bus with event partners MCTS, 99.1 The Mix and Pick ‘N Save, Milwaukee County residents help us collect food for those facing hunger during the holiday season. All are encouraged to come out the day before Thanksgiving and help stuff our buses with non-perishable food and/or frozen turkeys to enable all our neighbors to have nutritious food to eat during the holidays and all year long.

Rosa Parks portrait on empty seat with rose

Rosa Parks Remembrance Day

MCTS is keeping a seat open on every bus in the fleet on Rosa Parks Remembrance Day on December 1. Each reserved seat will include a red rose and a special placard that features Parks’ photo and a message about her courageous act.

Public Meetings

In pursuit of racial equity, MCTS seeks to gain input from our customers and neighbors to better meet the travel needs of our entire community. Join us as we host public meetings with neighborhood associations and related groups that currently use, or which could use, bus service.

Be part of the conversation! If your group would like to host an MCTS Public Meeting, send an email to jzeledon@mcts.org.

Visit this page often for a listing of upcoming dates and locations.

Upcoming meetings:

MCTS Service Plans for Fall 2022
- Meeting 1: Wednesday June 8 at 6 p.m.
- Meeting 2: Thursday June 9 at 12 p.m.
- Meeting 3: Monday June 13 at 6 p.m.

View the calendar below to register and for additional details.

Community Calendar

Bus Shelter Art Project

The Bus Shelter Art Project is a unique effort by the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) to spread art across the community. The innovative program gives local artists access to the most exclusive canvases in town: MCTS bus shelters! Click here to learn more about the shelter locations and artists, as well as how your neighborhood or organization can sponsor a shelter.

Bus Lines is published six times a year as a service to Milwaukee County Transit System passengers.

View current and past issues here

To request a travel training for your group or school, visit our MCTS Travel Training Page. For presentations or participation in community events, complete our appearance request form. Please submit your request at least 45 days prior to your event.

Voice Your Support

As a MCTS rider, you know of the benefits of public transportation and understand its impact on the quality of life for all Milwaukee County residents. These transit advocacy groups work to positively influence and public policy on the local and state levels. Contact each one directly for more information.

Move Forward MKE is a Milwaukee County-wide coalition of local governments, business leaders, and community leaders who recognize that local problems are best solved with local solutions.

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) is the official metropolitan planning organization and regional planning commission (RPC) for the seven-county southeastern Wisconsin area. It provides objective information and professional planning initiatives to help solve problems and to focus regional attention on key issues of regional consequence. Learn more about SEWRPC and read about its VISION 2050 here.

Regional Transit Leadership Council (RTLC) is Southeastern Wisconsin’s united voice and platform for multimodal transportation. We understand that multimodal transportation is a critical link that activates our workforce and serves to draw new talent to the region, both of which are essential for long term vitality for our region. Founded in 2016, the Regional Transit Leadership Council unites public and private sector leaders from throughout the seven county Southeastern Wisconsin region around strategies and actions to connect the region with robust multi-modal transportation options.

Transit Plus Advisory Council’s (TPAC) mission is to serve as an advocate for persons with disabilities to ensure the availability of a quality transportation system, so that Transit Plus clients may enjoy full participation in their community, work, medical care and recreational activities. TPAC members are users of the Transit Plus program including family members and/or guardians of persons who use Transit Plus.
Please contact Lisa Walters (lwalters@mcts.org) for more information.

Transit Riders Union is an organization (independent of MCTS) of bus riders advocating for better transit in the Milwaukee area. Meetings are typically held on the first Saturday of every odd-numbered month at 1:00 pm. at the Stone Creek Factory Cafe, 422 N 5th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53203-3005.