Mayor Tom Barrett
Press Release

Public Invited to Hop on Board The Hop at Streetcar Open House

Event features behind-the-scenes access to new streetcar maintenance facility, music and more

By - May 25th, 2018 11:16 am
The Hop's first vehicle making its inaugural trip to the maintenance facility. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The Hop’s first vehicle making its inaugural trip to the maintenance facility. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

MILWAUKEE – The entire community is invited to get a first glimpse at the future of transit in Milwaukee at an open house for The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, on Friday, June 8, 2018. This free event will provide a unique opportunity for the general public to go inside The Hop, Milwaukee’s new streetcar system that is slated to begin passenger service this fall.

The Hop open house will run from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the streetcar maintenance facility, located under the I-794 expressway between North Fourth and Fifth Streets. Public access to the event will be at the northeast corner of the facility near the intersection of N. Fourth and W. Clybourn streets. No advance registration is required to attend.

“This is your chance to be among the first Milwaukeeans to board The Hop,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. “The Hop is an integral piece of the vibrant Milwaukee community we’re building, and I’m thrilled the public will have the occasion to come downtown, get a close-up look, and then visit some of the great businesses along the streetcar route.”

In addition to the chance to be among the first to step on board and see the interior of the vehicles, attendees will be able to see inside the new streetcar maintenance facility and learn about streetcar safety for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. The Hop streetcar will be stationary during the event, with an ADA-compliant temporary platform to provide access to the vehicle.

Two of five vehicles for The Hop have already arrived in Milwaukee from Brookville, Penn.-based Brookville Equipment Corp., with the remaining three vehicles set to be delivered in the coming months. The Hop vehicles are already undergoing on-street testing along a closed portion of W. St. Paul Ave., and will begin testing along the entire route this summer. For more information regarding The Hop, visit thehopmke.com.

The public is expected to first be able to ride The Hop in November. Rides will be free for the first year, thanks to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s generous 12-year, $10 million sponsorship deal.

More about the Milwaukee Streetcar

For more project details, including the project timeline, financing, route and possible extensions, see our extensive past coverage.

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