Milwaukee has a new bus route. Here's where it'll take you this summer—and where it won't.

Alex Groth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·4 min read
People check out the new battery powered CONNECT 1 electric bus during the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the start of the $55 million nine-mile CONNECT 1 East-West Bus Rapid Transit line, held at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and 27th Street, the heart of the East-West BRT in Milwaukee on Monday, June 5, 2023. The first BRT route in the county will stretch from Milwaukee's downtown to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa along Wisconsin Avenue and Bluemound Roadwill let. Passengers will ride for free through September 30.

All aboard Milwaukee County's new Connect Bus Rapid Transit. Let's go to a concert or the library. Maybe to grab some lunch?

The first BRT route launched June 4 and lets passengers ride for free this summer. The line spans from Milwaukee's downtown to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa along Wisconsin Avenue and Bluemound Road. It operates from 4:30a.m. to 1:30a.m. During the day, on weekdays, it will arrive every 10 minutes, and every 15 minutes on weekends. Evening buses are scheduled to arrive every 20 to 30 minutes.

Here's some places to visit this summer via the BRT:

Sign up for a summer reading program at the Milwaukee Public Library

Board the BRT and get off at 9th St and Wisconsin Ave. and walk over the the Milwaukee Public Library Central branch, at 814 W Wisconsin Ave. This summer, you can sign up for their local summer reading programs for children, young adults and adults. While you're there, you can also attend a free public tour on Saturday at 11a.m. and learn more about the historic location, which opened its doors to the public in 1898.

For an list of upcoming events at Central branch, visit mpl.org/services/events/

Spend the day sightseeing at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Take the BRT to Van Buren and Wisconsin and walk over to the Milwaukee Art Museum or the Betty Brinn Museum to spend the day sightseeing. While you're there, you can check out Milwaukee's Lakefront Festival of Art the weekend of June 16-18. You could also take a free yoga class this summer at the museum.

Some Milwaukee County libraries let you check out a free pass to museums like the Betty Brinn or Milwaukee Art Museum with your library card. To see which library offer passes, visit the www.mcfls.org

Catch a concert or show at the Riverside theater, Bradley Symphony Center or the Rave

Lovejoy performs at a sold-out Riverside Theater in Milwaukee on Saturday, May 27, 2023. The show was originally slated for the 300-capacity Back Room at Colectivo Coffee.
Lovejoy performs at a sold-out Riverside Theater in Milwaukee on Saturday, May 27, 2023. The show was originally slated for the 300-capacity Back Room at Colectivo Coffee.

Grab your friends and head to your nearest BRT station and get off at 5th St. and Wisconsin Ave. There's a number of concerts happening all summer long at the Riverside theater, 116 W Wisconsin Ave. For a full list, visit their website at www.pabsttheatergroup.com.

Or you can attend the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at the Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., which opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This summer, they'll be performing Marvel Studios' Black Panther, and Jaws. For a full list of concerts, visit www.mso.org

To get to a show at the Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., get off the bus at 27th street. For a full list of concerts, visit www.therave.com.

RELATED: 8 best Milwaukee music releases for June 2023, including PartyAt4, Direct Hit! and more

Grab a meal at the 3rd St. Market Hall

The 3rd Street Market Hall in Milwaukee on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.
The 3rd Street Market Hall in Milwaukee on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.

After all this adventure, it's time for lunch or dinner. Get off at 5th Street and Wisconsin and head into the 3rd Street Market Hall to grab a meal. The hall, at 275 W. Wisconsin Ave. in the old Grand Avenue mall, features everything from tacos to ramen.

Plan your trip to Summerfest on Milwaukee's lakefront

The Connect 1 BRT line will drop you off on the corner of Wisconsin and Van Buren, and you can walk a couple blocks to the Summerfest North Gate.

Summerfest is gearing up for its 55th anniversary on the lakefront. It runs from June 22-24, June 29 to July 1 and July 6-8 this year. For more information on who's playing this year, visit their website at www.summerfest.com.

Here are some places the BRT doesn't go

The BRT replaces Milwaukee County's Gold Line, which previously stretched from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to Brookfield Square. Instead, the BRT now ends at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center. If you still want to go to Brookfield Square, you'll have to transfer from the BRT to the Waukesha Metro Route #1.

Riders who are trying to get to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee can still take route 30. There's a full list of local routes that stop on campus at www.uwm.edu/transportation.

Can I still get to the Milwaukee County Zoo using the BRT?

Yes. You can take the BRT to the Milwaukee County Zoo by getting off at 95th Street and Bluemound Road and either waiting for the Waukesha Metro 1, or by crossing Bluemound and 43 and walking about 10 minutes to the zoo.

RELATED: Your guide to summer in Milwaukee: Beer gardens, festivals, public pools, hikes, music

Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Milwaukee bus route offers free trips to art museum, Summerfest