The Hop (streetcar)

In 1860, Milwaukee opened the first line of its original streetcar system using horse-drawn streetcars. The system continued to grow in the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, culminating in a large network of electric streetcar lines.[10][11][12]

After World War II, the federal government invested heavily in the development of an interconnected interstate highway system, and raised taxes on private railway and streetcar operators. This stimulated massive urban sprawl and car dependency to the detriment of public transport systems. Commenting on this trend, philosopher and planner Lewis Mumford said when the Interstate Highway Act passed that more damage would be done to American cities in the next 10 years than all the bombing the Germans did to European cities during World War II.[13] On March 2, 1958, the city's last streetcar route was closed.[14]

The northern terminus of the M-Line is Burns Commons (Ogden Avenue at Prospect Avenue). From there, the line follows Ogden Avenue in both directions to Jackson Street, turns west on Kilbourn Avenue, then splits; southbound streetcars follow N. Broadway, while northbound streetcars follow N. Milwaukee Street. 0.575 miles (925 m) later,[15] two-way running resumes at E. St. Paul Avenue. After crossing the Milwaukee River, the line then follows W. St. Paul Avenue in both directions to N. 4th Street, terminating at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. The total journey length is 2.1 miles (3.4 km).[6][3][7] Kiosks displaying real-time arrival times are installed at the Intermodal Station, Cathedral Square, and Burns Commons stations.[16]

A streetcar crosses the St. Paul Avenue Bridge over the Milwaukee River

The future L-Line is expected to use the tracks of the M-Line along Milwaukee Street and Broadway to make a loop around downtown,[17] then branch to N. Lincoln Memorial Dr. via E. Michigan St. and E. Clybourn Street.[18]

Of the 2.1-mile (3.4 km) length of the M-Line, 3,300 feet (1 km)[15] is not equipped with overhead wires. The streetcars cover these sections along Kilbourn Avenue and Jackson Street powered only by their batteries.[15] About two-thirds of the track sections that will be brought into use later for the L-Line will also be unwired.[17]

The line is operated by Transdev, under contract to the city of Milwaukee, the streetcar system's owner.[1] The contract goes through December 2023, covering the first five years of in-service operation, with an option for a five-year extension.[44]

Hop service runs seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to midnight Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.[9] Fare-free service originally planned to end after one year is still in effect due to delays in procuring a fare sale/validation system.[45] The system's car house, its storage and maintenance facility, is on Vel R. Phillips Avenue (4th Street), under an elevated section of the I-794 freeway.[15]

The first streetcar for The Hop, when newly delivered, March 2018

Interior view

On April 6, 2015, the city invited bids for the supply of four streetcars, with the issuing of a request for proposals to interested manufacturers.[46] In November 2015, the city awarded an $18.6-million contract to Brookville Equipment Corporation to build four "Liberty" model streetcars for Milwaukee.[47][48] A fifth car was added to the order later, to expand the fleet sufficiently to be able to serve the future Lakefront extension.[49]

The city specified that the streetcars be capable of operating in service using only battery power part of the time, because almost one third of the line is not equipped with overhead wires;[15] the batteries are charged when the vehicles are on the wired portions of the line. The sections that will be operated on battery power only are along Kilbourn Avenue and Jackson Street.[15] All other parts of the line have overhead wires, although a portion of the future branch to the Lakefront area is also planned to be unwired.

The first of the five vehicles arrived in Milwaukee from Brookville on March 26, 2018,[50] and made the first test run over a short section of the line on April 11.[51] The cars are numbered 01–05; each is 67 feet (20 m) long, weighs 83,000 pounds (38,000 kg; 38 t) and is designed to carry 120 to 150 passengers.[50] On May 14, 2018, the second streetcar was delivered,[52] followed by the third on July 26. The fifth and final car on order was delivered on September 7, 2018.[53]

[54]

The busiest day for The Hop was July 13, 2019 with 9,000 riders.

• Milwaukee County Transit System
• Streetcars in North America
• The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company – the primary operator of streetcar service in Milwaukee from 1890 to 1958
• Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad – an interurban railway that operated a local streetcar service in Milwaukee from 1907 to 1951
• List of bus transit systems in the United States
• List of rail transit systems in the United States
• List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
• Waukesha Metro Transit
• Washington County Commuter Express
• Hiawatha Service

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Hop (streetcar).

• The Hop Streetcar

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