Milwaukee receives first streetcar from Brookville

The city of Milwaukee yesterday took delivery of the first vehicle for its new streetcar system.

The 67-foot, 83,000-pound streetcar arrived from Brookville Equipment Corp.'s plant in Brookville, Pennsylvania. The unit, which rolled off a truck in downtown Milwaukee, will be stored in the streetcar system's operations and maintenance facility on N. 4th Street.

On-street testing of the vehicle will begin next month on a section of West St. Paul Avenue, with testing along the full initial route to begin this summer, according to a press release issued by the Milwaukee Department of Public Works.

Known as The Hop, the system is slated to begin serving passengers by year's end. The first 2.1-mile phase of the system will run from the Milwaukee Intermodal Station in downtown to the city's lower east side.

As a result of a $10 million sponsorship agreement with the Forest County Potawatomi Community, rides will be free for the first year of operations. The system's official name is The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.

"The arrival of The Hop's first vehicle in Milwaukee is a major and highly visible step forward in the development of our new streetcar system," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

In November 2015, Milwaukee selected Brookville to build four modern streetcar vehicles for $18.2 million.