The Hop’s L-Line to Fully Open April 11

Milwaukee – The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Casino Hotel, will fully open its first new route extension on Thursday, April 11 at 12 p.m. As part of the full opening of the L-Line, the streetcar will also begin serving the Lakefront stop inside the Couture transit concourse, providing riders with access to Milwaukee’s lakefront and its countless destinations and attractions.

“This is a milestone years in the making and we couldn’t be more excited to finally provide streetcar service directly to Milwaukee’s lakefront,” Milwaukee Commissioner of Public Works Jerrel Kruschke said. “The new transit concourse in the Couture will be a transformative resource for public transit in the region and a tremendous asset to our riders, who can now access all that Milwaukee’s lakefront has to offer in a safe and convenient manner. We’re looking forward to an extremely busy and exciting summer for Milwaukee and The Hop.”

The L-Line opened on a limited basis on Oct. 29, 2023, providing service only on Sundays and without utilizing the Lakefront station while construction remained ongoing at the Couture. Beginning April 11 at noon, L-Line service will expand to seven days per week mirroring the M-Line’s existing hours of operation.

The new extension is a nearly 2-mile route incorporating five existing streetcar stations along the Milwaukee/Broadway corridor with three new stops along a new spur connecting to Milwaukee’s Lakefront. The extension was funded in large part by a Federal TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant awarded to the City of Milwaukee in 2015. The new route will provide an important connection between the existing M-Line and many of Milwaukee’s most-visited destinations, including the Henry Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World, Veterans Park, and much more.

The L-Line operates independently from the M-Line, served by one streetcar operating in a figure-eight pattern proceeding east on Michigan St., south through the Couture site, west on Clybourn St., north on Milwaukee St. to Kilbourn Ave, and south on Broadway to St. Paul Ave. The L-Line car will provide service every 20 minutes to the existing Wisconsin Ave NB/SB, City Hall NB/SB and Historic Third Ward EB stations, as well as new stations at Michigan at Jackson EB, Clybourn at Jefferson WB, and the Lakefront stop inside the Couture transit concourse. Riders will be able to transfer between the M- and L-Lines at any of the five overlapping stations.

More information regarding the L-Line, including a “How to Ride” explainer video, an FAQ document, service timetable, and more, is at www.thehopmke.com/l-line.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.