Ridership of Milwaukee's streetcar, The Hop, dropped nearly 30% during the RNC

Ridership of Milwaukee's streetcar, The Hop, was down nearly 30% during the Republican National Convention in July, however, the streetcar still reported its highest 2024 monthly total of rides thanks to a boost from Summerfest, according to data presented at Wednesday's Milwaukee Public Works meeting.

During July, 63,383 passengers took the Hop, a slight decrease from July 2023. Ridership of the Hop is at 61% of pre-pandemic levels.

Here's a breakdown of at how many people took the Hop in July 2024:

Ridership of the Hop dropped during the 2024 RNC and Bastille Days, but rose during Summerfest

During the Republican National Convention, both City Hall stops were close to the West State Street entrance to the RNC soft perimeter, and could transport riders to the Third Ward and Intermodal Station. However, city spokesperson Tiffany Shepherd said the RNC caused less movement in the downtown business area, as locals steered clear of traffic and delegates were bused to venues.

Hop ridership dropped 28% during the RNC compared to the same week the previous year. Ridership during Bastille Days also decreased 22% compared to 2023, with 14,269 riders taking it during the festival.

However, ridership increased 30% over last year during Summerfest with 28,383 total trips during the festival. An average 3,154 passengers took the Hop during Summerfest.

Ridership numbers in July 2023 were high due to the combination of Bastille Days and Harley Fest during the same week, which attracted visitors from out of town to travel to both events in the downtown business area.

How to take the Hop streetcar:

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 stations Michigan at Jackson eastbound, Clybourn at Jefferson westbound, and 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.

RELATED: Do visiting Republicans also think The Hop is a boondoggle?

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee streetcar The Hop: Ridership dropped 30% during the 2024 RNC