Milwaukee Common Council debates MCTS' bid to operate streetcar

The controversy surrounding Milwaukee’s streetcar project continues.

The controversy in Tuesday's Common Council meeting solely focused on Milwaukee County Transit Service’s interest in operating the street car.

A deadline for all proposals from organizations wishing to operate the service are due on April 4.

MCTS and Milwaukee County missed a meeting for groups interested in operating the street car back on March 2, and expressed interest the following day.

The County Board of Supervisors sent a request to the Common Council asking them to extend the April 4^th deadline to June 5^th.

The council rejected the county’s request for an extended deadline of June 5.

In a statement from MCTS, spokesperson Brendan Conway said "In keeping with the County Board's new policy, MCTS is planning to submit a response to the city's streetcar proposal. However, because of the short time frame and the necessary streetcar experience the city is seeking, it is unlikely MCTS will win the bid." 

The County Executive wants to see the streetcar succeed and become an important component of our robust transit system. No matter who runs the streetcar, MCTS will look for ways to work with them within the bounds of state law and county policy."