Summerfest lines up a private shuttle service for 2021

There’ll be shuttles to Summerfest after all.

Nine days before the official start of the 2021 music festival, Milwaukee World Festival Inc. announced Tuesday that it had lined up a private transit company, Atlanta-based Vectour Group, to provide bus shuttles to Summerfest during the nine days of the festival, Sept. 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18.

The shuttles won’t run during the Wednesday “kickoff ” concerts at American Family Insurance Amphitheater on Sept. 1, 8 and 15.

Round-trip tickets will cost $12. Prepaid tickets will be available at Summerfest.com, or on exiting the bus, paying on arrival at a kiosk, according to Summerfest. Riders will get a wristband that allows them to make the return trip. (Without the wristband, riders will have to pay the $12 fare again.)

Summerfest says it’s requiring cashless payments — debit or credit cards only. Shuttle drivers will not be handling cash.

The festival had to scramble to find a shuttle service after Milwaukee County Transit System announced in June that it wouldn’t be able to run its popular Summerfest buses because of a shortage of bus drivers.

“We know that many of our fans utilize bus transportation to get to Summerfest, and we wanted to provide them with a convenient and affordable option to attend the festival,” Milwaukee World Festival President and CEO Don Smiley said in the statement announcing the new shuttles.

According to Milwaukee World Festival, the Summerfest Shuttles will run beginning at 11 a.m. during the nine days of the festival, running continuously throughout the day, about 30 minutes apart.

The routes to Maier Festival Park start at three park-and-ride lots:

College Avenue, at College Avenue at I-94 (both lots)

Wisconsin State Fair Park, I-94, at South 76th and West Kearney Streets

Brown Deer, West Brown Deer Road, west of I-43.

At Summerfest, the drop-off/pickup location will be just west of the Mid-Gate at the festival grounds.

Riders will be encouraged to wear masks while riding the Summerfest shuttles.

RICK WOOD/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL There won't be Milwaukee County Transit System shuttles to Summerfest this year, but the music festival has lined up a private company to fill the void.