Streetcar Hops To Festival Line Configuration
Change makes it easier to get to lakefront festivals, but comes with hidden cost.
Two The Hop streetcars pass each other on E. St. Paul Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
There won’t be any shovels in the ground, but Milwaukee’s streetcar system is changing routes.
The Hop will merge its main (M) and lakefront (L) lines to operate as the Festival (F) Line.
The change is designed to make it easier for riders unfamiliar with the system to get to the lakefront. From June 15 through Aug. 31, the F Line configuration means all streetcars stop at the lakefront station in the base of The Couture. The station is across the street from the north entrance of Henry Maier Festival Park.
“With Summerfest kicking off next week, we’re entering Milwaukee’s busiest and most exciting time of year, and that extends to the streetcar as well,” said Jerrel Kruschke, Department of Public Works commissioner, in a statement on June 10. “We continue to see more residents and visitors taking advantage of The Hop to reach the festival grounds while avoiding the hassle of parking. With the F Line, riding the streetcar to summer festivals and events is easier than ever, as every car stops at our Lakefront station.”
The system will also operate with extended hours — service until 1 a.m. — during Summerfest, German Fest, Irish Fest and Mexican Fiesta to accommodate those staying until the festival grounds close.
But the change is not without a cost. Sending all streetcars onto the 0.4-mile lakefront loop imposes a 10-minute delay on all trips heading north from the Historic Third Ward.
Under normal operation, the M Line runs from the Milwaukee Intermodal Station to Burns Commons on a 2.1-mile route, skipping the lakefront loop. Two vehicles run the route during regular service. The L Line, which opened in 2024, adds an additional vehicle that traverses the lakefront extension as well as existing M Line tracks on N. Milwaukee Street and N. Broadway. The L Line does not extend to Burns Commons or Milwaukee Intermodal Station, creating potential confusion for riders.
The F Line configuration makes it possible to board a streetcar anywhere along the route and arrive at the festival grounds. The configuration opens up substantial free or lower-cost parking options for festivalgoers and makes a free ride to the Summerfest grounds only a short walk from Brady Street.
Riders can track the real-time position of streetcars using the TransLoc app. Vehicles arrive approximately every 15 minutes.
Regular riders of the L Line are already familiar with the festival configuration, as the line has spent much of the year operating as the F Line. The Hop Alerts X account and TransLoc app have regularly displayed notices that the L Line was being substituted by the F Line. The issue, according to a Department of Public Works spokesperson, was “digging near a portion of the track.” The L Line relies on a switch to shift tracks and go west at N. Milwaukee Street and E. Kilbourn Avenue instead of continuing east to Cathedral Square. Switches, which were not regularly used until the L Line started, have proven problematic for the system.
The Hop remains free to ride.
The Hop Festivals Line route map. Image from The Hop.
The Hop’s M Line (blue) and L Line (yellow). Image from The Hop.
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