The first new Milwaukee streetcar arrived Downtown today, coming in from its plant in Brookville, Pa. The blue, gold and white streetcar is 67 feet long, weighs 83,000 pounds and can hold 120-150 people.
It wasn’t easy getting to this point. The streetcar has been a largely divisive project—a fact Mayor Tom Barrett acknowledged at the arrival this morning—since before the Milwaukee Common Council first voted on it back in 2015.
“This is part of a bigger thing that’s going on here,” Barrett told the Shepherd at that time. “It’s about the future of this city and what your view is about the future of this city.”
The vehicle will begin its 621 miles of test runs in April. The rest of the five initial vehicles are expected to arrive on a monthly basis.
“The Hop,” as it is being called, will be free for the first year as a part of a sponsorship deal with Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
