As Milwaukee’s new streetcar, The Hop, prepares to roll out for the public to ride on Nov. 2, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett stepped on board Monday for his first-ever ride along its M-Line.
He was joined by members of the media and city officials, including City Development Commissioner Rocky Marcoux, for the 40-minute loop, which was a prelude to the streetcar’s ‘Grand Hop-ening,’ starting at 11 a.m. on Friday.
“To me this is about two things,” Barrett said. “It’s about connecting people– and I think you’ll see a lot of people who will take advantage of this– but it’s also about connecting places.”
The Hop will be free for the first year of operation as part of a $10 million, 12-year naming sponsorship deal with Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
Barrett touted the number of development projects along or near the route, including the 25-story BMO Tower under construction at East Wells Street and Broadway, the renovations planned for Milwaukee Athletic Club’s historic building on Broadway and East Mason Street, the year-old Northwestern Mutual Tower & Commons to the east and the newly built Fiserv Forum to the west.
“It’s all part of a larger picture… and if you put it all together, you can see that this is a dynamic period for the heart of the City of Milwaukee,” Barrett said.
The $124 million streetcar project was approved by the Common Council in 2015.
No tickets or vouchers will be required for the first year. Starting later this week, passengers can wait for the vehicles at one of the 18 stations along the M-Line every 10 to 15 minutes. The L-Line, which will service destinations along the lakefront, is slated to open in 2020.
