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1/17/2019
Rail News: Passenger Rail
Milwaukee streetcar's ridership rose in December
Ridership on The Hop streetcar reached 76,044 in December, the Milwaukee system’s first full month of operations.
The streetcar — which launched on Nov. 5, 2018 — averaged 2,453 rides per day in December. From Nov. 5-30, it averaged 2,297 rides per day.
The December gain was driven in part by ridership increases in the early part of the week, with average Monday ridership jumping from November's 1,357 to 1,789, and average Tuesday ridership rising from November's 1,622 to 1,952.
"Our ridership numbers show that the city is embracing this new asset, and that people are riding for a wide variety of reasons," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in a press release. "We've seen some fantastic crowds on weekends as the streetcar attracts business and activity downtown, and we're also seeing an uptick during the week as more and more riders utilize the system to connect with their jobs, residences and other destinations."
From Nov. 5 through Dec. 31, the streetcar logged 152,169 total rides and averaged 2,382 rides per day, excluding the opening weekend. The system marked its highest one-day ridership so far at 4,882 on Dec. 15.