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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
The crowd gathered at Cathedral Square Park for the 'Grand Hop-ening.'
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
One of the city's five 67-foot, 83,000-pound streetcars.
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
The crowd at The Hop's grand opening
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
The Golda Meir School drum line performed at the grand opening.
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, spoke at the grand opening.
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
The crowd at The Hop's grand opening
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
Protesters gathered at the event.
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Mayor Tom Barrett spoke at the grand opening.
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
A protester holding a "BOO!" sign
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
Mayor Tom Barrett
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Photo Credit: Cole Vandermause
A crowd watches Mayor Tom Barrett speak at The Hop's grand opening.
Hundreds of people gathered at Cathedral Square Park on Friday afternoon for the grand opening celebration of “The Hop,” Milwaukee’s new streetcar system.
Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, spoke first at the event and touted the streetcar’s cultural and economic impact on the city. “The Hop is definitely a game changer for Milwaukee,” she said.
Mayor Tom Barrett spoke next. A small group of protesters began chanting as Barrett spoke, but were quieted down shortly after. The mayor spoke of the streetcar as a defining factor of “the Downtown renaissance.”
The streetcar runs 5 a.m.-midnight on weekdays, 7 a.m.-midnight on Saturdays and 7 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sundays. Fares are free for the first year thanks to a $10 million sponsorship from Potawatomi Hotel and Casino. There are four streetcars moving along the route, with expected service times of 10-15 minutes.
