MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) says it will retire 73 buses federally recognized as past their useful life and will replace each with an updated clean diesel bus by fall.
The new buses are the result of federal and local funding sources. The new 6100 and 6200 series buses joining the MCTS fleet meet all federal emission standards.
According to MCTS, the buses will be equipped with a filter designed to remove soot from diesel emissions, have improved fuel economy, lower emissions, better driver visibility, anti-slip flooring, easier-to-read digital display signs, a new stainless steel understructure to reduce salt corrosion and heated side mirrors which will help melt snow and ice during the winter months.
“This is the work of our regional FTA office, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) in supporting Milwaukee County’s applications for funding,” said Denise Wandke, interim managing director of MCTS. “Our riders and the entire community will benefit from more environmentally-friendly transit.”
According to Wandke, below are the formula grants for the funding appropriated for the purchases:
- $3.9M of federal funds and $3.2M of local funds were used to purchase 14 clean diesel buses in 2021
- 59 clean diesel buses were purchased with $25.4M of federal funds and $6.3M of local funds in 2022
Milwaukee County Executive David Crawley said Black residents face the largest disparity to clean air and are exposed to about 41 percent more particulate pollution than the average resident.
“Clean air is a key component to giving residents’ every opportunity to enjoy good health. If simply walking outside your front door puts you at risk of breathing harmful toxins, it makes it much more difficult to manage your individual health,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crawley. "Elevated exposure to particulate matter air pollution shortens lives, increases cancer risks, and contributes to heart attacks, respiratory problems, and strokes. By replacing aging buses with new, more efficient ones we’ll improve air quality on our neighborhood blocks for all our residents.”
All 334 buses in MCTS’s fleet are now clean diesel. For more information visit here.
