The Milwaukee Streetcar, also known as The HOP, is a new modern streetcar line under construction in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The 2.5-mile (4.0 km) line will connect the Milwaukee Intermodal Station to the proposed "Couture" high-rise and connect Downtown to the Lower East Side and Historic Third Ward neighborhoods. Construction of the line began in April 2017. Work on utility relocation relating to the project began in 2016, as did construction of the maintenance facility for the line. Installation of the tracks along the route began in May.
Video Milwaukee Streetcar
History
In 1860 (1860), Milwaukee created the original streetcar system using horse-drawn carriages. The system continued to grow in the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, culminating in a large network of electric streetcars.
On March 2, 1958 (1958-03-02), the city's last streetcar route was closed.
Maps Milwaukee Streetcar
Route description
The originally designed route had streetcars traveling from E. Ogden Ave. and N. Farwell Ave to N. Van Buren St./N. Jackson St. The streetcar would have traveled north on N. Van Buren St. and south on N. Jackson St. to E. Wells St. To reduce utility relocation costs, this part of the route was altered to have two-way running on N. Jackson St. between E. Odgen Ave and E. Kilbourn Avenue.
After a brief segment of two-way running on E. Kilbourn Ave, the route connects with N. Broadway (southbound running) and N. Milwaukee St. (northbound running). Two-way running will resume at E. St. Paul Ave. After crossing the Milwaukee River, It will then operate on W. St. Paul Ave. in both directions to N. 4th St. at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station.
In October 2015, the project received a federal grant which will cover approximately half the cost of a spur to the lakefront. This spur to N. Lincoln Memorial Dr. will go via E. Michigan St. and E. Clybourn St.
The route's carhouse, its storage and maintenance facility, is being built on 4th Street, under the on-ramps to bridges across the Milwaukee River.
The City of Milwaukee has applied for a TIGER Grant to gain federal funds to fund 50% of the system's extension up 4th St. towards the new Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center and the Bronzeville neighborhood.
Funding and approval
The total cost to construct the streetcar is estimated to be $123.9 million. The project was approved by the Milwaukee Common Council on January 21, 2015, and upheld on February 10, 2015, by a vote of 10 to 5.
On April 6, 2015, the city invited bids for the supply of four streetcars, with the issuing of a request for proposals to interested manufacturers. In November 2015, the city awarded an $18.6-million contract to Brookville Equipment Corporation to build four "Liberty" model streetcars for Milwaukee. In mid-April 2016, the city invited bids for the construction of the project's first phase, with a June 1 due date for proposals. At that time, it was estimated that construction could begin in late summer or early fall 2016 and be completed in 2018.
On August 19, 2016, Omaha contractor Kiewit Infrastructure was announced as the winning bidder for the contract to construct the line, and carhouse. In February 2017, it was announced that track construction was projected to begin in April 2017. Installation of the tracks into the street began in early May.
See also
- Milwaukee County Transit System
- Streetcars in North America
- The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company - the primary operator of streetcar service in Milwaukee from 1890 to 1958
- Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad - an interurban railway that operated a local streetcar service in Milwaukee from 1907 to 1951
References
External links
- The Milwaukee Streetcar
- Sources list
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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