Milwaukee County Transit System

Making It Easy to Get Around Milwaukee.

Project Brief.

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) has grown from a single horse-drawn streetcar in 1860 to the largest transit system in Wisconsin. MCTS provides on average 150,000 rides every day to people across Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha Counties who rely on the system to get to work, school and medical appointments.

The MCTS website didn't meet the needs of the mobile user: over 85% of website visitors were mobile and needed easy access to time-sensitive information like route changes and detours.

Milwaukee County Transit desktop mockup

Client Details.

Services Provided.

  • Strategic Planning
  • Experience Design
  • Application Development

Project Solution.

Ascedia partnered with advertising agency Boelter + Lincoln to give the MCTS a refresh that would support mobile users and reflect the organization’s status as one of the top transit systems in the country.

Ascedia and Boelter + Lincoln held strategic planning sessions with MCTS to gain a full understanding of current challenges and desired features. The two teams worked together seamlessly in dedicated workshops to write user stories and craft the user experience.
The new site includes search functionality for bus stop numbers so that users can see when the next bus is arriving in real time, and provide a space for riders and drivers to share positive stories of their experiences using the bus.

An Excellence section of the site showcases personal stories and rider experiences. These stories reflect the impact MCTS services and employees have on the community at large.

The new website simplifies the process of looking up bus schedules and make it easier for people – including new riders, young professionals and tourists – to take the bus.

Real Time Data

The MCTS website uses the Google Maps API to for its map functionality, which integrates real-time transit data into the website.

It is easier for the administrative team to maintain and provides real-time information to mobile site users who use MCTS services. The redesign supports the administration process so that the MCTS team could quickly and easily schedule route updates and alerts.

A beta launch of the website gave an opportunity to gather feedback from power users. This approach helped the team get a full sense of how users are actually using the website, and identify any gaps before the website launched to the public.
Milwaukee County Transit System homepage
Milwaukee County Transit System how to ride page
Milwaukee County Transit System fares page

Project Outcomes.

Ascedia completed the MCTS website ahead of schedule, and it launched with a major campaign that included electronic signage on the front of city buses and a proclamation from Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele.

0 %

Increase in new sessions

0 %

Increase in new mobile sessions