The Hop (streetcar)
The Hop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Open | November 2, 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lines | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner(s) | City of Milwaukee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Transdev[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Infrastructure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | Overhead line, 750 V DC[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock | 5 Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Route length | 2.5 miles (4.0 km)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stops | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2,191 daily[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Website | thehopmke |
The Hop, also known as the Milwaukee Streetcar, is a modern streetcar system in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The system’s 2.1-mile (3.4 km)[5][3][6] original “M” line connects the Milwaukee Intermodal Station and Downtown to the Lower East Side and Historic Third Ward neighborhoods.[7] On April 11, 2024, a 0.4-mile (640 m) Lakefront, or “L” line,[5] to the nearly complete high-rise development The Couture, began offering full daily service. Additional extensions for new lines are currently in the planning stage. The system is owned by the city and operated by Transdev.
Construction of the system began in late 2016 and was completed in summer 2018. Service to the public began on November 2, 2018.[8][3]
Background
[edit]In 1860, Milwaukee opened the first line of its original streetcar system using horse-drawn streetcars. The system continued to grow in the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, culminating in a large network of electric streetcar lines.[9][10][11]
After World War II, the federal government invested heavily in the development of an interconnected interstate highway system, and raised taxes on private railway and streetcar operators. This stimulated massive urban sprawl and car dependency to the detriment of public transport systems. Commenting on this trend, philosopher and planner Lewis Mumford said when the Interstate Highway Act passed that more damage would be done to American cities in the next 10 years than all the bombing the Germans did to European cities during World War II.[12] On March 2, 1958, the city's last streetcar route was closed.[13]
Routes
[edit]The northern terminus of the M-Line is Burns Commons (Ogden Avenue at Prospect Avenue). From there, the line follows Ogden Avenue in both directions to Jackson Street, turns west on Kilbourn Avenue, then splits; southbound streetcars follow N. Broadway, while northbound streetcars follow N. Milwaukee Street. 0.575 miles (925 m) later,[14] two-way running resumes at E. St. Paul Avenue. After crossing the Milwaukee River, the line then follows W. St. Paul Avenue in both directions to N. 4th Street, terminating at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. The total journey length is 2.1 miles (3.4 km).[5][3][6] Kiosks displaying real-time arrival times are installed at the Intermodal Station, Cathedral Square, and Burns Commons stations.[15][needs update]
The new L-Line uses the tracks of the M-Line along Milwaukee Street and Broadway to make a loop around the city’s central business district,[16] then extends through a covered station within the Couture residential high-rise tower on N. Lincoln Memorial Dr. via E. Michigan St. and E. Clybourn Street.[17]
Of the 2.1-mile (3.4 km) length of the M-Line, 3,300 feet (1 km)[14] is not equipped with overhead wires. The streetcars cover these sections along Kilbourn Avenue and Jackson Street powered only by their batteries.[14] About two-thirds of the track sections used for the L-Line are also off-wire.[16]
History
[edit]Previous proposals
[edit]The Hop's construction came in the wake of a failed plan to build a light rail system in the Milwaukee area. In 1997, the region was awarded $289 million after local leaders created a plan to build a light rail system, expand Interstate 94, and increase bus service in Waukesha County. The system, if built, would have opened in 2010 and connected major destinations in the region with more than ten miles of track.[18]
However, Republican leaders and Governor Tommy Thompson backtracked and banned use of the funds for a light rail system. Future-alderman Robert Bauman led a group in filing a complaint with the US DOT, stating that the state's action had a discriminatory impact against carless African Americans in Milwaukee.[19] The US DOT decided for Bauman's group and the City of Milwaukee and Wisconsin DOT agreed to split the funds equally.
Both groups' shares were used for various transportation projects over the years. The City ended up using its remaining $54 million, in addition to $10 million from a tax increment financing district, as its local match to a federal grant.[20]
Funding and approval
[edit]The total cost to construct the streetcar was estimated in 2015 to be US$123.9 million (equivalent to $159.26 million in 2023).[21] The project was approved by the Milwaukee Common Council on January 21, 2015, and upheld on February 10, 2015, by a vote of 10 to 5.[22][23] In October 2015, the project received a federal grant which will cover approximately half the cost of a spur to the lakefront.[24]
Initial route plans had streetcars run only northbound on Van Buren Street and only southbound on Jackson Street. In February 2016, this split was removed to reduce utility relocation costs.[25]
In mid-April 2016, the city invited bids for the construction of the project's first phase, with a June 1 due date for proposals. At that time, it was estimated that construction could begin in late summer or early fall 2016 and be completed in 2018.[26]
Construction and testing
[edit]On August 19, 2016, Omaha contractor Kiewit Infrastructure was announced as the winning bidder for the contract to construct the line and carhouse.[27] In February 2017, it was announced that track construction was projected to begin in April that year, which it did.[28][29][30][31] Work on utility relocation relating to the project had already started in 2016,[32] as did construction of the maintenance facility for the line.[33] Installation of the tracks along the route began in May 2017. By March 2018, more than 90% of the track had been installed along the initial line.[5]
In mid-2017, the city signed a contract with Transdev to operate and maintain the streetcar system for at least five years.[1] The first test trip covering the entire line under power was made on the night of June 18/19, 2018.[14] Training of operators also began that month.[14]
Naming rights
[edit]In October 2017, it was announced that a 12-year sponsorship deal, including naming rights, had been reached between the Potawatomi Native American community and the city of Milwaukee. Under the agreement, the Milwaukee Streetcar was formally renamed "The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino" – The Hop, for short – in exchange for $10 million in funding from the Potawatomi.[34][35][36] These corporate sponsorship funds would also allow all Hop service to be free for the first year, city officials said.[34][35]
L-Line
[edit]By June 2018, the L-Line had been constructed except for its outermost section, where delays to the start of work on The Couture prevented finishing construction.[14] The planned opening was delayed to late 2019,[17] then late 2020,[14][3] then 2021,[37] then September 2023,[38] requiring an act of Congress to extend a federal grant program and putting the completion of the L-Line five years behind schedule.[39]
The L-Line opened to the public on October 29, 2023,[40] in a reduced form that only ran on Sundays and bypassed the lakefront. Full daily service, including to the Couture, began on April 11, 2024.[41][42]
Temporary combined "F–Line" service (Summer 2024)
[edit]In late-June 2024, ahead of the 2024 edition of Summerfest, the system merged its two separate lines into a single line in a temporary "Festival Line" ("F–Line") arrangement. Under this arrangement, all trains serve all stations. This was done in order to increase service to the Lakefront stop (the nearest stop to the north gate of Henry Maier Festival Park) and in hopes of making the system less confusing to festival visitors.[43][44] It had initially been slated to end at the close of Summerfest.[44] However, on July 11 it was announced that the "Festival Line" arrangement would continue until the end of the summer in order to make the festival grounds more accessible for attendees of other events held there over the summer.[45]
Future
[edit]This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: past grant denials.(July 2023) |
Two additional extensions are being planned: one north past Fiserv Forum into Bronzeville and the second as a new branch from the Third Ward and extending south to Walker's Point.[46][47] A portion of the northerly M-line extension was originally planned to be operational in time for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. For political reasons, construction approval was bundled with planning approval for the Bronzeville and Walker's Point extensions; controversy over the location of the Walker's Point terminal scuttled approval for all three proposals.[48] Since the 2020 Democratic National Convention ultimately became a virtual event due to the COVID-19 crisis, the short term need for the partial extension became moot.
The City of Milwaukee has applied for a TIGER Grant to gain federal funds to fund 50% of the system's extension up 4th Street towards the new Fiserv Forum and the Bronzeville neighborhood.[49]
2023 Wisconsin Act 12 restricts Milwaukee from using any taxes, including tax increment financing (TIF) districts, to operate or expand The Hop.[50] Before the use of TIF funds for The Hop was made illegal, due to other funding restrictions the state imposes, Milwaukee was forced to disproportionally rely on them for construction of The Hop compared to other American cities that built modern streetcar networks.[51] The city cannot proceed with future grants unless it is able to work around state-imposed restrictions to provide a local match.[50]
Operations
[edit]The system is operated by Transdev, under contract to the city of Milwaukee, the streetcar system's owner.[1] The contract goes through December 2023, covering the first five years of in-service operation, with an option for a five-year extension.[52]
Hop service runs seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to midnight Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.[8] Fare-free service originally planned to end after one year is still in effect due to delays in procuring a fare sale/validation system.[53] The system's car house, its storage and maintenance facility, is on Vel R. Phillips Avenue (4th Street), under an elevated section of the I-794 freeway.[14]
Rolling stock
[edit]On April 6, 2015, the city invited bids for the supply of four streetcars, with the issuing of a request for proposals to interested manufacturers.[54] In November 2015, the city awarded an $18.6-million contract to Brookville Equipment Corporation to build four "Liberty" model streetcars for Milwaukee.[55][56] A fifth car was added to the order later, to expand the fleet sufficiently to be able to serve the future Lakefront extension.[57]
The city specified that the streetcars be capable of operating in service using only battery power part of the time, because almost one third of the line is not equipped with overhead wires;[14] the batteries are charged when the vehicles are on the wired portions of the line. The sections that will be operated on battery power only are along Kilbourn Avenue and Jackson Street.[14] All other parts of the line have overhead wires, although a portion of the future branch to the Lakefront area is also planned to be unwired.
The first of the five vehicles arrived in Milwaukee from Brookville on March 26, 2018,[58] and made the first test run over a short section of the line on April 11.[59] The cars are numbered 01–05; each is 67 feet (20 m) long, weighs 83,000 pounds (38,000 kg; 38 t) and is designed to carry 120 to 150 passengers.[58] On May 14, 2018, the second streetcar was delivered,[60] followed by the third on July 26. The fifth and final car on order was delivered on September 7, 2018.[61]
Stations
[edit]Stop | Line(s) | Neighborhood(s) | Connections | |
---|---|---|---|---|
M | L | |||
Burns Commons | ✓ | X | The Lower East Side | MCTS: Route 30 |
Ogden/Astor (Westbound and Eastbound) | ✓ | X | The Lower East Side | MCTS: Routes 14, 30 |
Ogden/Jackson Westbound | ✓ | X | The Lower East Side | MCTS: Routes 15, 30 |
Ogden/Jackson Eastbound | ✓ | X | ||
Jackson/Juneau Southbound | ✓ | X | Yankee Hill | MCTS: Routes 15, 33 |
Jackson/Juneau Northbound | ✓ | X | ||
Cathedral Square (Westbound and Eastbound) | ✓ | X | East Town | MCTS: Route 30 |
City Hall Southbound | ✓ | ✓ | East Town | MCTS: Routes 15, 18, 57, GreenLine |
City Hall Northbound | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Wisconsin Avenue Southbound | ✓ | ✓ | East Town | MCTS: Routes 30, CONNECT 1 BRT Line |
Wisconsin Northbound | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Clybourn at Jefferson | X | ✓ | ||
Lakefront | X | ✓ | MCTS: CONNECT 1 (BRT) | |
Michigan at Jackson | X | ✓ | ||
Historic Third Ward Westbound | ✓ | X | Historic Third Ward | MCTS: Routes 15, 18, GreenLine |
Historic Third Ward Eastbound | ✓ | ✓ | ||
St. Paul/Plankinton Westbound | ✓ | X | Station District | |
St. Paul/Plankinton Eastbound | ✓ | X | ||
Milwaukee Intermodal Station | ✓ | X | Station District | Amtrak: Borealis, Hiawatha, Empire Builder, MCTS: Routes 12, 31, 34, 57, BlueLine, Badger Bus, Wisconsin Coach Lines/Coach USA, Greyhound Lines, Amtrak Thruway, Lamers Bus Lines, Jefferson Lines, Indian Trails, and Megabus (North America). |
Ridership
[edit]Month | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
January | N/A | 48,354 | 50,444 | 15,057 | 17,055 | 32,481 | 32,116 |
February | N/A | 45,000 | 48,028 | 13,344 | 18,454 | 31,188 | 37,602 |
March | N/A | 50,000 | 27,447 | 18,321 | 25,843 | 36,307 | 40,162 |
April | N/A | 55,657 | 7,285 | 17,070 | 23,972 | 37,738 | 43,080 |
May | N/A | 62,937 | 9,762 | 20,806 | 25,537 | 41,627 | 44,958 |
June | N/A | 71,367 | 14,947 | 24,691 | 30,910 | 50,293 | 58,441 |
July | N/A | 103,625 | 17,110 | 28,576 | 48,433 | 65,749 | 63,383 |
August | N/A | 80,113 | 19,310 | 33,145 | 40,319 | 47,552 | 49,573 |
September | N/A | 66,986 | 18,796 | 37,606 | 38,607 | 31,246 | |
October | N/A | 62,010 | 18,479 | 33,313 | 36,590 | 41,176 | |
November | 80,361 | 52,998 | 14,339 | 30,408 | 33,039 | 39,232 | |
December | 76,131 | 61,274 | 15,356 | 28,833 | 33,348 | 39,856 | |
Totals | 156,492 | 760,321 | 261,303 | 301,170 | 372,107 | 494,445 | 369,315 |
The busiest day for The Hop was July 13, 2019, with 9,000 riders.
See also
[edit]- Milwaukee County Transit System
- Streetcars in North America
- The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company – the primary operator of streetcar service in Milwaukee from 1890 to 1958
- Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad – an interurban railway that operated a local streetcar service in Milwaukee from 1907 to 1951
- List of bus transit systems in the United States
- List of rail transit systems in the United States
- List of intercity bus stops in Wisconsin
- Waukesha Metro Transit
- Washington County Commuter Express
- Hiawatha (Amtrak train)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Barrow, Keith (September 13, 2017). "Transdev to operate Milwaukee Streetcar". Railway Age. ISSN 0033-8826. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Glaszcz, Rachael; Gotter, Brian (May 16, 2018). "How will the streetcar handle Milwaukee weather?". WTMJ. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Ryan, Sean (November 2, 2018). "Milwaukee streetcar draws a crowd on first day of service". Milwaukee Business Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ "Milwaukee streetcar 'The Hop' ridership outpaces estimates". TMJ4. November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Shaw, Dan (March 7, 2018). "Clybourn, Milwaukee intersection to close for streetcar work". The Daily Reporter. BridgeTower Media. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ a b "Frequently Asked Questions – About Streetcars". thehopmke.com. City of Milwaukee DPW. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ Walker, Don (January 16, 2015). "Feds approve route change for proposed Milwaukee streetcars". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- ^ a b Nelson, James B. (November 2, 2018). "Everything you need to know about the new Milwaukee streetcar, at least for now". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- ^
Nelson, James B. (January 16, 2015). "Rep. Jim Steineke says Milwaukee streetcar would be '1900s style trolley'". Politifact Wisconsin. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
The previous system began in 1860 with a small network of horse-drawn cars. Those lines eventually grew into a large network powered by electricity. The streetcar became an important part of the city's fabric – and the foundation for the city's electric utility.
- ^ "Historical Milwaukee Streetcar Maps". The Squeaky Curd. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ "Speaking the Truth". The Milwaukee Streetcar. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
- ^ Dries, Mike (February 16, 1997). "Undoing urban sprawl : Norquist pushes urbanism agenda in attempt to lessen reliance on cars". Milwaukee Business Journal.
- ^ Schultz, Russell E. (1980). A Milwaukee Transport Era: The Trackless Trolley Years. Glendale, CA: Interurbans. p. 88. ISBN 0-916374-43-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Milwaukee streetcar set for November opening". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association. August 2018. p. 286. ISSN 1460-8324.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (April 3, 2021). "Transportation: First Streetcar Smart Kiosks Installed". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Simons, Vic (February 2019). "Revitalising Milwaukee". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association. pp. 50–53. ISSN 1460-8324.
- ^ a b Jeramey, Jannene (May 22, 2018). "City Advances Streetcar Extension Plans". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ^ "The railroad not taken". archive.jsonline.com. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Streetcar's Trump Card Over Walker: A 1990s Civil Rights Case — Streetsblog USA". usa.streetsblog.org. June 15, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ Shields, Yvette (February 13, 2015). "Milwaukee Settles Streetcar Plans". The Bond Buyer. Vol. 1, no. F307.
- ^ "Capital Costs/Construction". The Milwaukee Streetcar Project. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- ^ Stephenson, Crocker (February 10, 2015). "Milwaukee Common Council OKs streetcar plan". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (February 10, 2015). "Eyes on Milwaukee: Milwaukee Streetcar Approved". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Streetcar spur to lakefront awarded $14 million federal grant". Milwaukee Business Journal. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (February 26, 2016). "Eyes on Milwaukee: $6.5 Million in Streetcar Savings". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ Spicuzza, Mary (April 19, 2016). "City opens bidding to lead Milwaukee streetcar construction project". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 3A. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^
Ryan, Sean (August 19, 2016). "Milwaukee hires lead streetcar contractor, allowing work to begin as early as fall". Milwaukee Business Journal. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
Kiewit Infrastructure Co. of Omaha, Neb., was selected for the estimated $60 million contract to lead the first phases of Milwaukee's streetcar construction.
- ^ Handelman, Luke (April 4, 2017). "'Huge project': Welding of steel begins as construction gets underway on controversial streetcar". WITI. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- ^ Spicuzza, Mary (February 17, 2017). "Milwaukee Streetcar route construction to begin in April". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Aevermann, Kyle (February 17, 2017). "Milwaukee Streetcar Construction To Begin in April". WDJT-TV. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Wainscott, Kent (February 17, 2017). "Construction of Milwaukee streetcar to begin in April". WISN-TV. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (February 17, 2017). "Streetcar Track Construction Starts in April". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ Spicuzza, Mary (April 18, 2016). "City opens bidding to lead Milwaukee streetcar construction project". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ a b Spicuzza, Mary; Glauber, Bill (October 7, 2017) [online date October 6]. "Streetcar gains sponsor: Potawatomi Hotel has inked $10 million deal for 12 years". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. pp. 1A, 10A. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ a b Keith, Theo (October 6, 2017). "Milwaukee streetcar to be named "The Hop" under deal with Potawatomi, free rides for a year". WITI. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ Kirchen, Rich (October 6, 2017). "Potawatomi deal 'significant step' in avoiding city tax support for Milwaukee streetcar". Milwaukee Business Journal. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ Daykin, Tom. "Long-delayed Couture high-rise receives HUD loan guarantee for $103.5 million, setting the stage for construction". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (March 16, 2022). "Congress Extends Streetcar Grant". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (February 1, 2022). "City Needs Act of Congress Because of Couture-Streetcar Delay". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ "Milwaukee's streetcar 'The Hop' L-Line route opens to riders". CBS58. October 29, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Kirby, Hannah (August 22, 2023). "The Hop will be debuting its first new route extension on a limited basis this fall. Here's what to know". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ "The Hop's L-Line: Opening Oct. 29, 2023". The Hop.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- "Milwaukee's The Hop Summerfest 'Festival Line' announced". FOX6 News Milwaukee. May 30, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- Jannene, Jeramey (May 30, 2024). "The Hop's Lines Will Merge For Easier Summerfest Service". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ a b Dietel, Samantha (July 8, 2024). "City Extends Use of Combined 'Festival Line' for Downtown Streetcar". BizTimes - Milwaukee Business News. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Groth, Alex; Reid, Claire (July 11, 2024). "The Hop's expanded service line for festivals will continue to run all summer long in Milwaukee". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Spicuzza, Mary (May 1, 2019). "Milwaukee plans to extend The Hop streetcar route before 2020 Democratic National Convention". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (July 23, 2019). "Transportation: No Streetcar Expansion in Time for DNC". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- ^ Sandler, Larry (December 13, 2019). "Why The Hop's Expansion Plans Went Off the Rails". Milwaukee Magazine. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- ^ Spicuzza, Mary (April 29, 2016). "Milwaukee seeks $20 million grant for streetcar extension". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Dirr, Alison (November 8, 2023). "Milwaukee officials want to extend The Hop's route. State lawmakers aren't making it easy". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ "On the Right Track? The Use of TIF for Milwaukee's Streetcar" (PDF). Wisconsin Policy Forum. September 2019. pp. 11–19. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ "Transdev to operate, maintain Milwaukee Streetcar". Progressive Railroading. September 7, 2017. ISSN 0033-0817. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey. "Transportation: Free Streetcar Rides Planned for 2020". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ Ryan, Sean (April 7, 2015). "Milwaukee plans to buy four initial streetcars, could pay more than $4M each". Milwaukee Business Journal.
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- ^ "First of five Brookville Liberty Streetcar vehicles for The Hop Streetcar arrives in Milwaukee" (Press release). Brookville Equipment Corporation. March 28, 2018. Archived from the original on June 6, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- ^ a b Spicuzza, Mary (March 26, 2018). "First new Milwaukee streetcar vehicle rolls into downtown". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
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- ^ Delong, Katie (May 13, 2018). "2nd streetcar vehicle for 'The Hop' arrives in Milwaukee Monday". WITI (Fox 6). Retrieved May 5, 2018.
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- ^ "The Hop MKE | Milwaukee Streetcar".