'The Hop' streetcar open house Friday afternoon is free and open to the public

MILWAUKEE -- You can check out Milwaukee's new streetcar on Friday afternoon, June 8 during a free open house event.

It'll take place from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Streetcar Maintenance Facility shops under the I-794 expressway between North 4th and 5th Streets.

Public access to this event will be at the northeast corner of the facility near the intersection of N. 4th and W. Clybourn Streets.

"The Hop" Open House will feature safety information -- and those in attendance will be among the first to see inside the streetcars, as well as the maintenance facility. The Hop streetcar will be stationary during the event, with an ADA-compliant temporary platform to provide access to the vehicle.

Two of five vehicles for The Hop have already arrived in Milwaukee from Brookville, Penn.-based Brookville Equipment Corp., with the remaining three vehicles set to be delivered in the coming months. The Hop vehicles are already undergoing on-street testing along a closed portion of W. St. Paul Avenue, and will begin testing along the entire route this summer.

For more information regarding The Hop, CLICK HERE.

The public is expected to first be able to ride The Hop in November. Rides will be free for the first year, thanks to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s 12-year, $10 million sponsorship deal.