FTA to Milwaukee: Address fare evasion, security on streetcar, bus systems

The Federal Transit Administration last week called on Milwaukee transportation officials to address "rampant" fare evasion on Milwaukee County's bus and the city's streetcar systems.

In letters to Milwaukee officials responsible for the bus and streetcar systems, FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro also asked that the city and county provide "transparency" on the resources they're allocating to improve public safety on buses and the streetcar system, known as The Hop. Molinaro gave the transit officials until Dec. 22 to provide the information to the FTA.

In his letter to James Vineau, Milwaukee's streetcar system manager, Molinaro said the Milwaukee Streetcar System (MSS) must report on the following: 
• actions and plans to reduce crime and fare evasion on the transit system, including information about fare evasion trends and previous actions; and 
• funds from all sources that are programmed to improve the security of passengers and workers. This should include information about all MSS fiscal-year 2025 budgeted and fiscal-year 2026 planned funds allocated to reduce crime and fare evasion on the transit system, including a comparison to prior year funding for such expenses. 

The information also must include information related to certain federal grant funds related to passenger and transit-worker security and safety, FTA officials said.

According to The Hop's website, the streetcar is currently free to ride; there is no fare.

The FTA's questions about Milwaukee County's bus system were addressed to John Rodgers, interim director of the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation.

"People traveling on MSS to reach their jobs, education, health care and other critical services need to feel secure and travel in a safe environment free from crime, and workers who operate the system need to be assured of a safe operating environment to provide transportation services," Molinaro's letter states.

The letters to Milwaukee transit officials are the latest in a series that the U.S. Department of Transportation has sent to transit systems urging them to address safety and fare evasion and to focus on reducing crime, FTA officials noted in a press release.