Maritime Metro Transit

Maritime Metro is a publicly owned and operated fixed route transit system serving the cities of Manitowoc and Two Rivers. The City of Manitowoc took over the management operations of the privately owned Manitowoc Motor Coach Company in January 1978. From 1978 through 1999, Maritime Metro was called the Manitowoc Transit System.

In 1992, Maritime Metro initiated paratransit services under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a curb-to-curb service that provides transportation to the disabled population in the community that is unable to ride the fixed route service. Maritime Metro currently contracts these services to a local provider.[2]

The transit system operates seven routes:

• Route 1: Two Rivers
• Route 2: Northeast Loop
• Route 3: Southwest Loop
• Route 4: Southeast loop
• Route 5: West Loop
• Route 6A: Northcentral Loop
• Route 6B: Northwest Loop

Routes generally run 5am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturday. There is no service on Sunday. Five of the seven routes operate from the Maritime Metro Transit Center in downtown Manitowoc. [3]

In 1998, a former bank drive-thru was remodeled and became Maritime Metro Transit's first Intermodal Transfer Center. Eventually, the needs of the transit system outgrew the facility, so the old facility was demolished and a new center was built on the same location. On October 24, 2012, a ribbon cutting event was held at the newly constructed Transfer Center at 915 S 11th St.[4]

The previous transit center was small, did not have proper restroom facilities, and was inaccessible. The Federal Transit Administration funded a grant, which resulted in a 4,200 square foot station that allows transit riders to wait indoors and utilize restroom facilities. It also houses MMT’s administration and includes a multi-purpose conference room that can be used by other City departments. Several sustainable aspects were incorporated into the design including the use of recycled materials, water efficient fixtures, low or no emitting products and use of natural lighting. In spite of the small site, there was still an opportunity to create an outdoor green space with benches for passenger use. The building style is reminiscent of transit stations of the past. Details such as pitched roofs with long overhangs, arched topped openings, red brick and stone are a nod to classic architectural building typology. There is also a tower that reminds one of the clock towers on old train stations. The tower is visible from the historic downtown and is a new landmark for the City.[5]

	Ridership	Change over previous year
2014[6]	340,764	n/a
2015[7]	342,667	00.56%
2016[8]	332,871	02.86%
2017[9]	317,656	04.57%
2018[10]	313,936	01.17%
2019[11]	317,573	01.16%
2020[12]	255,586	019.52%

Ridership peaked in 1983 at 401,925 rides[13]

• Shoreline Metro
• SS Badger
• List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
• List of bus transit systems in the United States