MILWAUKEE — Disappointed and horrific is how Milwaukee County Transit System President and Managing Director Denise Wandk described last week’s fatal bus crashes.

“I just don’t understand going 100 or going 8 miles per hour down city streets and running red lights,” said Wandk. “I don’t know why people think that that’s okay or that it’s not going to leave a huge impact down someone down the line.” 

What You Need To Know

  • The two fatal crashes costed MCTS $2.2 million in bus replacement costs

  • Both drivers were speeding and driving recklessly leading them to crash into MCTS buses

  • This resulted in two fatalities and several injuries between the drivers and passengers

  • Saturday’s crash into the battery electric bus is beyond repairable

The two crashes occurred Thursday and Saturday nights. Both drivers were speeding and driving recklessly, leading them to crash into MCTS buses. This resulted in two fatalities and several injuries between the drivers and passengers. 

“I really want people to start respecting the position that these operators have. It’s a very challenging thing to drive 40 ton plus bus plus look out for all the craziness,” said Wandk. 

Wandk said the reckless driving costs Milwaukee County $2.2 million in bus replacement costs alone. Thursday’s crash into a clean diesel bus will cost $650,000 to replace. 

Saturday’s crash into the battery electric bus is beyond repairable. She said the bus only had 10,000 miles on it and it hasn’t been in service a year when the normal life span is 12 years. 

“We only have so many buses,” said Wandk. “We’re already running into our spare ratio just trying to keep our fleet going. This is a hard hit on us.” 

Director of Maintenance, Dwyane Reese, said once the buses are out of service, they’re no use to MCTS.

“We replace the Umo and the validators and the fare boxes and the radio system and we take them out of those buses and put them into the other buses, then we put them up for auction and put them up for sale,” said Reese. 

The number of automobiles that have crashed into MCTS buses has increased 40% in the first three months of the year, according to MCTS.

“This stuff just breaks my heart,” said Wandk. “It’s hard for me to talk about it in general because when you get a call at two in the morning that one of your bus operators has been involved, and there’s a fatality, and I’ve been to say that it makes me sick.” 

Wandk and the MCTS are pleading with drivers to be cautious and follow the rules of the road to ensure accidents like this don’t continue. 

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