Two bus routes were originally created as the "Green Bus" routes in 1923. Routes were originally assigned letters and had somewhat different names, "A" was Sherman-Wisconsin, "B" was Washington-Wisconsin, "C" was Prospect-Grand. On 8/14/32, route "C" was combined into route "A" forming the Prospect-Sherman route. And on 4/9/50, the routes were assigned numbers 30 and 31, and the premium fares were dropped.
1964 marked the introduction of the first "Freeway Flyer" routes, numbered in the 40's.
Some of the newly created bus routes numbered above 50 were extensions of streetcar routes. And when the main streetcar routes were converted to buses, those extension bus routes were consolidated into the main former streetcar routes, using the former streetcar route numbers.
After formation of the Milwaukee County Transit System, certain routes were introduced with route numbers below 10, mainly supplementing existing routes and serving special markets. Many of the newly created routes were "UBUS" routes, serving the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. There were also a few "IBUS" routes, serving various industrial areas.
A route restructuring in 2008 resulted in the discontinuance of service on Vliet, at the time route 11. Service was restored on Vliet in 2009, as route 33.
Route Route Route Number Name Discontinued 2 Wauwatosa Local 6/30/51 3 South Milwaukee 8/ 3/41 91 Kenosha 12/31/47 92 East Troy 8/14/39 92 Burlington 5/ 2/38 93 Watertown 6/30/51 94 Sheboygan 3/29/48
Route Route Streetcars Trolley- Motor Route Replacement
Number Name Discontinued Buses Buses Discontinued Route
Introduced Introduced Number
(1) Metrolink Northwest New Bus 1991 2002 none
(2) Metrolink Southwest New Bus 1993 12/ 2/01 none
(3) Metrolink Bluemound New Bus 1997 1998
4B Burleigh-Bay View New Bus late 1980's
4H 35th-Forest Home New Bus late 1980's
(5) Oklahoma UBUS New Bus 9/ 3/74 8/ /04 none
(6) Silver Spring UBUS New Bus 9/ 3/74 9/ 2/80
(6) Oak Creek IBUS New Bus 3/30/81 1993
(6) QuadGraphics West Allis New Bus 1995 2005 none
(8) Glendale IBUS New Bus 6/17/90 1993
8 QuadGraphics Sussex New Bus 1995
(9) Northwest Shuttle New Bus late 1980's 1991
(9) Menomonee Falls-Butler New Bus 1994 2007 none
Route Route Streetcars Trolley- Motor Route Replacement
Number Name Discontinued Buses Buses Discontinued Route
Introduced Introduced Number
10 Wisconsin (Wells St.) 3/ 2/58 3/ 2/58
(10) West Allis 3/ 2/58 3/ 2/58 12/ 2/01 none
10 Humboldt New Bus 24 3/23/80
(10) Downer 6/21/53 6/21/53 30
(11) State 11/26/50 11/26/50 1995 none
(11) Vliet 11/18/55 11/18/55 12/30/62 3/23/08 33
11 Holton 6/27/38 11/20/38 6/14/63
11 Howell 10/28/56 10/28/56
12 Teutonia-Hampton (12th) 11/18/51 11/18/51
(13) St. Paul-Michigan 5/21/41 9/14/41 1/30/62 3/ /04 none
(14) Holton 6/27/38 11/20/38 6/14/63 3/23/08 11
14 Forest Home (Mitchell) 10/ 6/37 10/ 6/37 6/14/63
15 Oakland-Kinnickinnic 11/15/53 11/15/53 12/30/62
(16) Vliet 11/18/55 11/18/55 12/30/62 11
(16) 6th St. 6/29/47 6/29/47 80
(17) Walnut-Lisbon 11/26/50 11/26/50 71
17 Canal New Bus 2006
18 National-Greenfield 11/18/55 11/18/55 6/20/65
(18) Fond Du Lac 11/18/51 11/18/51 23
19 M.L.King-13th 10/10/48 10/10/48 6/20/65
19 S. 16th-S. 20th 9/ 8/40 9/ 8/40 9/ 1/63
(20) S. 16th-S. 20th 9/ 8/40 9/ 8/40 9/ 1/63 3/23/08 19
21 North Ave. 11/ 8/36 11/ 8/36 12/30/62
22 Center St. 9/22/41 11/23/41 12/30/62
23 Fond Du Lac 11/18/51 11/18/51
27 27th St. 10/17/54 10/17/54
28 108th St. New Bus 9/ 2/79
Route Route Streetcars Trolley- Motor Route Replacement
Number Name Discontinued Buses Buses Discontinued Route
Introduced Introduced Number
30 Downer 6/21/53 6/21/53
30 Prospect Green Bus 5/ 2/23
30 Sherman Green Bus 6/ 7/23
31 State New Bus 71 12/ 2/35
31 Highland Green Bus 6/ 7/23
33 Vliet New Bus 2009
35 35th St. 10/24/37 10/24/37 12/30/62
39 Timmerman Flyer New Bus 1/31/83
(39U)Timmerman UBUS New Bus 1994 1995 none
40 College Flyer New Bus 12/ 1/75
40 Holt-Morgan Flyer New Bus 48 9/10/79
40U Holt-College UBUS New Bus 1/19/76
(41U)Watertown Plank UBUS New Bus 9/ 5/78 late 1980's none
(42) North Shore Flyer New Bus 1/ 7/73 2002 none
43 Whitnall Flyer New Bus 4/14/64
44 National Flyer New Bus 11/ 6/67
44 Fair Park Flyer New Bus 38 12/ 5/83
44U Fair Park Whitnall UBUS New Bus 16 1/14/80
45 Capitol Flyer New Bus 4/22/68
45 Watertown Plank Flyer New Bus 41 3/30/64
46 Loomis-Southridge Flyer New Bus 7/ 6/70
47 S. 27th Street Flyer New Bus 5/17/71
(48) Northland-Teutonia New Bus 8/14/72 2005 none
48 South Shore Flyer New Bus late 1980's
49 Brown Deer-Northridge New Bus 8/26/74
Route Route Streetcars Trolley- Motor Route Replacement
Number Name Discontinued Buses Buses Discontinued Route
Introduced Introduced Number
50 Morgan New Bus 1/31/66
51 Oklahoma New Bus 11/ 1/25
(52) Clement New Bus 9/11/22 12/ 2/01 15
53 Lincoln New Bus 3/25/33
54 Mitchell-Burnham New Bus 4/17/20
(55) North-Wauwatosa New Bus 8/13/24 7/ 1/51 57
55 Layton New Bus 3/23/80
(56) Fond Du Lac New Bus 11/12/28 11/18/51 23
57 Walnut-92nd New Bus 4/11/26
(58) Green Bay-Villard New Bus 9/ 1/25 12/ 2/01 80
(59) North Milwaukee New Bus 10/14/27 11/18/51 12
59 Mill Rd. New Bus 1/30/67 2009 none
60 Burleigh New Bus 2/16/28
(61) Hampton-35th New Bus 5/15/32 1/ 1/36 56
61 Hampton-107th New Bus 9/ 4/62 2009 none
62 Capitol Dr. New Bus 7/ 1/29
(63) Fox Point New Bus 3/16/31 12/30/62 15
63 Silver Spring Dr. New Bus 9/ 3/78
(63U)Silver Spring UBUS New Bus 1995 5/ /04 none
64 S. 60th-W. Grange New Bus 5/ 4/30
(65) West Allis New Bus 1/ 8/29 4/ 2/72 18,53
(65) West Allis 3/ 2/58 3/ 2/58 12/ 2/01 none
(66) South Milwaukee New Bus 3/16/31 2/21/82 15
67 N. 76th-S. 84th New Bus 3/16/31
68 Port Washington New Bus 7/16/34
(69) West Wisconsin New Bus 9/ 1/35 3/ 1/58 10
(70) Downer New Bus 8/20/33 8/16/35 62
(71) State St. New Bus 12/ 2/35 1995 31
(72) Harwood New Bus 12/ 2/35 2/23/47 71
(73) Keefe-Ardmore New Bus 8/16/37 3/23/80 24 now 10
(74) East Locust New Bus 8/16/37 11/30/41 22
(74) Greendale New Bus 10/10/38 3/29/70 35
(74) S. 43rd New Bus 10/10/38 6/12/81 none
(75) Greenfield New Bus 6/ 3/39 4/ 2/72 18
76 N. 60th/S. 70th New Bus 1/ 3/44
(77) Hawley New Bus 10/10/44 3/29/70 64
(78) N. 7th St. New Bus 10/10/48 4/19/53 68
(78) Brookfield Flyer New Bus 4/ 1/81 late 1980's none
(79) S. 16th/S. 20th New Bus 3/ 2/47 9/ 1/63 20
79 Menomonee Falls Flyer New Bus 4/ 1/81
80 6th St. 6/29/47 6/29/47
(81) Howell-Layton New Bus 3/30/47 10/28/56 11
(81) Lake Dr.-Packard New Bus 10/12/64 9/ 6/77 none
(82) Stevenson-Adler New Bus 7/ 1/51 3/28/86 65
(83) S. 27th St. New Bus 11/18/51 10/17/54 27
(83) Sholes Loop New Bus 9/ 4/68 6/ 8/84 none
(83) Wilson Park New Bus 6/12/88 1988 none
(84) S. 1st St. New Bus 12/30/54 4/ 1/79 none
(84) Frank L. Wright New Bus 8/29/83 6/ /04 none
85 Whitman-West New Bus 9/ 3/68
(86) Nathan Hale West New Bus 9/ 7/65 6/ /04 none
87 Nathan Hale East New Bus 9/ 7/65
88 Cudahy New Bus 9/ 2/69
89 St. Francis New Bus 9/ 2/69
Route Route Streetcars Trolley- Motor Route Replacement
Number Name Discontinued Buses Buses Discontinued Route
Introduced Introduced Number
(101) Silver Mill-Park Place New Bus 1992 3/ /04 23
(102) West Loop Shuttle New Bus 1992 3/ /04 23
(103) East Loop Shuttle New Bus 1992 1992 none
(103) Granville Woods Shuttle New Bus 1995 1997 none
(104) Brown Deer Shuttle New Bus 1991 2002 none
(105) Granville Shuttle New Bus 1991 1997 104
(106) Falls Industrial Park New Bus 1997 7/ 1/05 none
(121) Franklin Shuttle New Bus 1993 1994 none
137 House of Corrrection New Bus 3/28/99
143 Ozaukee County Express New Bus 2000
(176) Cedarburg Express New Bus 1/ /01 2001 none
(218) New Berlin Industrial Park New Bus 2000 1/ /04 Waukesha
219 Oak Creek Shuttle New Bus 1997
(227) Franklin Shuttle New Bus 1997 2003 none
(258) Glendale Industrial Park New Bus 3/28/99 12/ 2/01 27
(263) Silver Spring Corporate New Bus 2000 12/ 2/01 none
(280) Oak Creek Shuttle New Bus 1993 1994 none
(280) South Milwaukee-Oak Creek New Bus 3/28/99 2000 none
Exact dates are generally available only until 1986, when the May-June issue of Motor Coach Age provided the most recent history available of the Milwaukee County Transit System. Years of subsequent changes are compiled from a mostly complete collection of MCTS route maps.