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(Photo by Andrea Waxman)
Milwaukee residents living in zip codes 53205, 53206, 53208, 53209, 53210, 53212, 53216, 53218, 53233 are in danger of losing an important lifeline. The Milwaukee County Transit System’s (MCTS) bus routes 6 and 61 – also known as the JobLines – will disappear from these nine urban zip codes at the end of 2018, unless new funding sources are found.
The JobLines routes were established in 2014 as a settlement with the Wisconsin and U.S. Departments of Transportation, the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin (BHCW) and Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH) to aid in transporting individuals living in urban neighborhoods to employment opportunities in Waukesha and Washington Counties.
Route 6 runs west along Capitol Drive to Moorland Rd. and south through several New Berlin industrial parks. Route 61 runs northwest along W. Appleton Avenue into a busy business district in Menomonee Falls.
If you are unsure about the impact of losing these two bus lines, consider this:
- The JobLines routes provide reliable transportation to 28,000 residents in these zip codes where nearly 20 percent do not have access to a car for work.
- Ridership on the JobLines is healthy and is growing. Currently, about 1,000 daily riders depend on the JobLines to connect them with good-paying jobs at over 150 employers in New Berlin, Brookfield and Menomonee Falls.
- Residents also rely on the routes to get them to shopping, doctor appointments, workforce training centers, church, job interviews, child care, school, and more.
- Businesses in the New Berlin industrial parks, which already need workers for current jobs, expect to expand and hire more workers as they begin filling orders for Foxconn.
- The JobLines routes would be excellent feeder lines for the proposed Milwaukee-to-Foxconn commuter bus route.
In short, transportation has a ripple effect on the economic health of the entire area it serves. Imagine the crippling effect on your daily routine if you did not have access to a car. It’s something most of us take for granted.
So, what do we tell the inner-city residents at the end of 2018 when their transportation lifeline is cut off? What do we tell businesses that suffer due to losing access to employees and customers? What do we tell taxpayers who become disenchanted with the area’s growing blight?
What we can tell people and business owners is to speak up NOW:
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- Sign the online petition to keep the JobLines routes alive: http://bit.ly/SaveOurJobLines
- Attend “THE JOBS ARE ON THE LINE” Community Rally on May 19, 2018 at The Wisconsin Black Historical Society from 11AM – 2PM. Encourage others to attend to build community support for the JobLines
- Spread the word about the importance of JobLines to our communities. Talk often with elected officials, faith leaders, activists and local community organizations.
- Sign the online petition to keep the JobLines routes alive: http://bit.ly/SaveOurJobLines
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The Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin and Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope meet regularly with MCTS to discuss the JobLines bus routes and other transportation issues. We invite area businesses and community leaders to invest in and commit to JobLines as well.
Rev. Marilyn Miller
Pastor, Reformation Lutheran Church
President, Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope – MICAH
Jim Addison
President & CEO, Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin – BHCW
How do you sign the petition? I went to the link and didn’t see a “Sign” icon.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your interest! Simply click this link: http://bit.ly/SaveOurJobLines to be taken to the petition page. Once there, you’ll see boxes to fill in your first and last name, email and location. Once your info is filled in, simply click “Sign this petition” and you’ll be all set.
Hope this helps!
So where does ‘funding’ come in? The bus isn’t free. The riders pay. So, if there are enough riders, there should be enough ‘funding.’ Sounds like a lack of riders is what’s driving this change.
Transit riders pay a portion of the cost of the service the rest is supported by the state & federal government. Just like automobile users pay a portion of the cost for roads and highways and the balance is publicly supported. Nowhere on earth is transit completely self supporting, no can it ever be. It is a public works commitment just like parks, bridges (when is the last time you paid a toll to cross a bridge or drive down your street).
why can’t they use smaller buses – most of the time the buses are empty
Perhaps where you see them there are few riders, but as a transit rider, I see them pretty full at certain times of the day and locations. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of cars I see have only one occupant. How about that for waste of resources.
Is 53225 hit with this As well