Bicyclist safety around The Hop will be focus of ride

Bicyclist safety around the new $128 million Milwaukee streetcar will be emphasized Thursday during a ride through downtown Milwaukee.

Led by the Wisconsin Bike Fed, cyclists will ride the 2.5-mile route for The Hop. Along the way, they’ll receive tips about the new bike lanes around the streetcar stations and how to approach the network of rails laid for the service.

The No. 1 suggestion: cyclists should approach and cross the rails at a 90-degree angle to prevent their wheels from getting caught in the grooves.

The route for The Hop runs through downtown and the Historic Third Ward between the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, 433 W. St. Paul Ave., and Burns Commons, at East Ogden and North Prospect avenues.

A lakefront loop is scheduled to open next year. That route runs along East Michigan and East Clybourn streets, between North Milwaukee Street and North Lincoln Memorial Drive.

Daytime testing of the streetcar is expected to ramp up soon. Cars will be running on a regular schedule but not picking up passengers.

Thursday’s “HopSmart Ride” also will show cyclists how they can bring their bikes onboard the streetcar when service begins later this fall.

The streetcar loads at the same level as the platforms, making it easy to roll bikes right on the cars. The cars have special bike storage areas.

Cyclists participating in Thursday’s ride should gather at 6 p.m. at The Hop’s Operations and Maintenance Facility, entering at the corner of West Clybourn Street and North Phillips Avenue. Advance registration is not required, but participants are asked to RSVP on The Hop’s Facebook page.

Construction of the streetcar project is funded with a $55 million federal grant and money generated by Milwaukee tax financing districts. The $3.2 million annual operating budget will be covered by fares, advertising revenue, federal grants and cash from city parking meters and parking lots.

Critics at the state and local level say the city is wasting money by returning to a transportation system that was discarded decades ago. Supporters believe it will be embraced by residents and workers and contribute to the downtown renaissance.

The grand opening of The Hop is expected in November.