MKE County: Zoo’s New Parking System Is a Success

Milwaukee County Zoo. Photo by Jeramey Jannene. The Milwaukee County Zoo s new entrance was an expensive project, but it has proved a success. In April, the zoo finished construction on the first phase of a $15.3 million redesign of the entrance and ticketing operation. The new entryway allows visitors to breeze into the zoo s parking lot and pay for admission at the main entrance in the U.S. Bank Gathering Place. The project is also an example of the sort of infrastructure improvements that directly impact local quality of life and county officials often struggle to fund. The government s structural budget gap — the result of a disastrous pension plan adopted more than 20 years ago and two decades of flat state aid — has left county policymakers cutting budgets for many years. The budget gap in 2027 is estimated at about $50.8 million. The zoo project solved a major safety concern for zoo officials. Before the redesign, visitors paid for admission and parking at a gate shortly after g