The first of five Liberty Streetcar vehicles arrived in Milwaukee for The Hop Streetcar the week of March 26, 2018, marking the fourth U.S. city to take delivery of Brookville Equipment Corp.’s signature modern streetcar vehicle platform.
The American designed and manufactured Hop Liberty Streetcars are being delivered as part of a November 2015 contract between Brookville and the City of Milwaukee for the design and build of four streetcar vehicles with options for an onboard energy storage system (OESS) to power the vehicle along off-wire segments and 20 additional vehicles to support further line expansion. Upon the addition of the Lakefront extension, which necessitates off-wire streetcar travel, to the initial line, the City of Milwaukee exercised one of the option vehicles and the OESS options for a total fleet of five off-wire capable Liberty Streetcars.
In addition to the OESS, which utilizes lithium ion battery technology to power the vehicle without the presence of an overhead contact system (OCS), The Milwaukee Liberty Streetcars measure almost 67 feet long and 8 feet, 8 inches wide with the capacity to transport up to 120 passengers per vehicle, including up to 32 seated passengers. Two center-car passenger doors and an automatic hydraulic leveling system allow for station-height passenger boarding. Additional passenger amenities include bicycle racks and an HVAC system adapted to meet the needs of Milwaukee’s seasonal climate.
Brookville will continue deliveries of the remaining four Liberty Streetcars to Milwaukee throughout 2018. Once on-site, the vehicles will undergo a testing program prior to entering revenue service, which is currently slated for late 2018.
The Hop Streetcar is a new 2.5-mile line that will navigate key commercial and residential segments of Milwaukee’s urban core. Landmarks and attractions along the route will include Milwaukee Public Market, the historic Third Ward neighborhood, East Town, Lower East Side, and Cathedral Square Park, while also connecting riders to the City’s downtown intermodal station, which provides service to 1.4 million annual users.
