Milwaukee’s combined streetcar line, called the Festivals Line, has been extended after its use during Summerfest.
The F-Line, which is a combination of The Hop’s existing M-Line and L-Line, allows streetcar rides to get near the lakefront and North Gate of the Summerfest grounds without having to transfer. The Milwaukee Department of Public Works announced the Monday extension, citing “success” in ridership in a Monday X post.
Tiffany Shepherd, marketing and communications officer at the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, said the Hop’s F-line was up and running on the Sunday before Summerfest began June 20.
The Hop had previously operated with extended hours during the Summerfest, but L-Line extension to the lakefront began service earlier this year. The eastern terminus of the L-Line, in the base of The Couture, is across North Lincoln Memorial Drive from the North Gate at the festival grounds.
Shepherd said the goal of the Festival Line is to ease congestion and provide access to people. She said it is important to “let people come from different areas to access Summerfest and the lakefront, and all the other great festivals.” This option also allows people to save money that they may have otherwise used to park closer to the festival grounds, she said.
Shepherd, who said she personally rode the F-line to Summerfest, said she noticed many people were using the route to get to the festival grounds.
The department has not yet calculated how many passengers utilized the F-line during Summerfest, but Shepherd said June ridership numbers should be available later this month.
According to the Hop website, the M-line transported 65,749 passengers during the month of July last year, or about 2,121 per day. July was the Hop’s busiest month of the year, according to last year’s ridership data.
