Track The Hop in Real Time

No more staring down the street, wondering when the next streetcar might come. You can now track the position of The Hop using real-time data.

The service, originally promised to be operational in December, is provided by TransLoc. “We’re still in the early stages of rolling out this real-time solution and will continue working to add additional amenities and monitor the system’s accuracy, but given the inclement weather we’re experiencing we wanted to get this asset into the hands of our riders as quickly as possible,” Department of Public Works Commissioner Jeff Polenske said in a statement.

The real-time service provides an upgrade over the existing schedule by calculating up-to-the-minute arrival times at each station based on vehicle locations.

Riders can access the data in one of four ways currently. Smartphone applications for iOS and Android devices are available. A website, designed for mobile or desktop users, also provides arrival data. Riders can also access station arrival by texting “HOPMKE [Station Code]” to 41411. Station codes can be found by visiting the TransLoc website.

And if you’re at home with nothing better to do on a snow day, like today, you can load up the map and watch the vehicles go up and down the two-mile route.

The Milwaukee County Transit System has provided real-time data to bus riders since 2014. The data, which can be found in a number of third-party smartphone applications, has been integrated into the system’s fast-growing ticketing app.

Officials with The Hop did not immediately release information on how to access real-time data for integration with existing or planned mobile apps, including countdown timers in businesses along the route.

UPDATE – May 25th, 2021: App links updated to reflect new app name and location