Milwaukee ‘Hop’ Streetcar starts Lakefront service

Milwaukee, Wisconsin has inaugurated passenger service on the 0.7-mile (1.1km) Lakefront branch of its ‘Hop’ Streetcar (tram). 

 

At present there is just a Sunday service 07.00-22.00, but full daily service along the line is expected in April 2024 when new development is completed, specifically the delayed 44-storey The Couture residential tower block, which accommodates the tram tracks at ground level (and a future stop). 

 

The initial service is every 20 minutes. The route was approved as long ago as 2015, together with a USD 14.2M federal grant, and most of the track was laid in 2018, but construction of The Couture did not start until 2021, delaying completion of the tramway. 

 

In addition to the new tracks, the L Streetcar runs around the existing city loop to Broadway, part of the original 1.3-mile (2.1km) ‘Hop’ service inaugurated in 2018; there are five Brookville Liberty low-floor trams that have batteries to operate on sections of line without overhead wire. 

 

The Lakefront line is not wired. L service requires one tram. The ‘Hop' carries up to 65 700 passengers/month and rides are free and is operated by Transdev.