Citywide project · City streetcar
Streetcar (The Hop)
Running on two routes. Extensions are drawn up but not funded.
The project as a whole
Built and in use.
Latest
The map
Map key
Streetcar (The Hop)
- Regional long-range streetcar idea (VISION 2050)
- Hop extensions planned in 2019 (approximate, not funded)
- The Hop M-Line (running)
- The Hop L-Line, lakefront (running)
- Alder district borders
Reds are The Hop streetcar. Solid lines run today. Dashed lines are the extensions the city drew up in 2019 (traced, approximate), and the pale red lines are the region's long-range streetcar idea from SEWRPC's VISION 2050 plan. Tap any line to see that spot in Google Street View.
The story
The Hop is the City of Milwaukee's streetcar. Its main route runs 2.1 miles from the Intermodal Station downtown to the Lower East Side, and a second route serves the lakefront. Riding is free, paid for by a sponsor, federal grants, and parking money. Ridership peaked at about 760,000 rides in 2019 and was about 495,000 in 2025. In 2025 the Common Council told the city to plan for charging fares. Extensions to Bronzeville and Walker's Point have been drawn up but have no money to build them.
Timeline
- 2018 · DoneThe Hop opens downtown
- 2023 · DoneLakefront line opens
- 2025 · DoneCouncil orders a fare plan
- Years
- Opened 2018. Lakefront line opened 2023.
The money
- about $128 million: The Hop, constructionPaid by: mostly federal and city (tax increment) money. Source ↗
- about $6.5 million (2026 budget): The Hop, yearly operating costPaid by: city, sponsor, federal grants, parking money. Source, 2026 ↗
Explained on Blueprints
In the news
Recent stories from local news sites, public radio and TV, and advocacy groups (labeled), found through Google News and updated every morning. Headlines link to the outlet.
Who decides, and how to have a say
The City of Milwaukee owns The Hop, so the Common Council decides on fares and extensions. Federal grants paid for much of it.
Sources, checked October 31, 2026: Urban Milwaukee, August 28, 2026 (Hop lines, ridership, 2026 budget); Milwaukee Magazine, February 23, 2026 (Hop sponsorship, fare plan); Urban Milwaukee, October 25, 2018 (Hop construction budget); Urban Milwaukee, October 28, 2025 (request to close the line); map: SEWRPC VISION 2050 streetcar network (2023); Traced from SEWRPC's plan to the City of Milwaukee's 2019 extension endpoints; SEWRPC streetcar lines map. Street View imagery © Google.