The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, announced on July 24 that service schedules and frequency would return to normal beginning Sunday, August 1.

The positive change was a reflection of the increase in activity in greater Downtown Milwaukee and ridership continuing to trend back up. To celebrate, the streetcar is launching a new “Hop Summer Nights” promotion featuring great surprises to welcome riders back on board.

“It’s been fantastic to see our great City coming back to life this summer, with more and more people both returning to work downtown and taking advantage of the many great dining and entertainment destinations along the route,” said Jeff Polenske, Commissioner of Public Works. “We’re excited to return to our pre-pandemic hours and service levels, and committed to maintaining a safe environment on the vehicles as our ridership continues to rebound.”

Beginning August 1, the Hop’s schedule will once again be 5:00 a.m. to midnight Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to midnight Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, with service every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 20 minutes during off peak hours and on weekends.

To kick off the return of a regular schedule and encourage people to come back downtown, the streetcar will celebrate “Hop Summer Nights” every Sunday in August from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Beginning August 1 and continuing each Sunday through August 29, riders will be treated to free “hopsicles” from Pete’s Pops along with cool jazz from the Don Linke Trio.

Additionally, all riders are encouraged to enter a month-long “Hop Summer Nights” selfie sweepstakes by snapping a photo on board the streetcar and sharing it on Instagram and Twitter using #thehopmke. Entrants must be following @TheHopMKE and have public social media accounts in order to participate.

Enjoying the “Hop Summer Nights” promotion will be as simple as hopping on board. Each streetcar in service will feature either the free “hopsicles” or local, live music, so riders are encouraged to make an afternoon of it by exploring the many great destinations along the route, and experiencing the fun on each streetcar.

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Lee Matz

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