Ridership of Milwaukee's streetcar, The Hop, increased by more than 30% in 2023

Ridership of Milwaukee's streetcar, The Hop, has continued to bounce back after it plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here's what to know about 2023 ridership data and what to possibly expect in 2024:

How many people took the Hop streetcar in 2023?

During 2023, 494,445 people rode the streetcar, up from 261,303 in 2020. The Hop launched in 2018 with the M-Line, which runs in a loop through eastern downtown to the edge of the Historic Third Ward.

From 2022 to 2023, Hop ridership increased more 30%.

Introduction of the new L-Line with service to the Couture high-rise apartments and connection to the Lakefront is predicted to continue to increase ridership into 2024, said spokesperson Mark Rosenberg.

What was the highest ridership in 2023?

Hop ridership surged during Milwaukee's Bastille Days Festival and the Harley Davidson Homecoming Festival. Ridership averaged 4,557 riders per day from July 13-16, including 6,886 passengers on Saturday, July 15. That stood as the fourth-highest ridership on record for the Hop behind July 12-13, 2019 during pre-COVID Bastille Days, and Nov. 3, 2018 during the streetcar's grand opening.

How to ride the Hop:

The Hop M-Line operates Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Streetcars arrive every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 20 minutes during off peak hours and on Sunday.

The L-Line streetcar provides service every 20 minutes on Sunday to existing stations at Wisconsin Avenue northbound and southbound, City Hall northbound and southbound, Historic Third Ward eastbound, and new stations Michigan at Jackson eastbound, Clybourn at Jefferson westbound, and, eventually, the Lakefront inside the Couture transit plaza.

How much does it cost to ride The Hop?

Rides are free, no tickets are needed.

For more information:

For more information and complete ridership data for the The Hop is available online at https://thehopmke.com/ridership.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The Hop Milwaukee ridership increased by more than 30% in 2023