New Festivals Line Replacing the M-Line and L-Line this Summer

The Hop will pilot a new service during this year’s busy festival season. The “Festivals Line” is a combination of the existing M-Line and L-Line, with all vehicles serving the full route and making it even easier for passengers along the entire route – regardless of where they board – to reach the Lakefront stop and its convenient access to the festival grounds without the need to transfer.

The “Festivals Line” will replace The Hop’s existing operations beginning Sunday, June 16 and continuing throughout the summer festival season. During this time, The Hop will still operate during the same hours as usual, with extended service until 1 a.m. during each night of Summerfest and on Saturday, July 13 during Bastille Days. Rather than having three streetcars on the M-Line and one on the L-Line, the “Festivals Line” will see all four in-service vehicles serving the entire route. Northbound vehicles will deviate from the traditional M-Line route to include the loop east on Michigan, through the Couture Transit Concourse and back west on Clybourn before resuming north towards Burns Commons, while southbound vehicles from Burns Commons will proceed along the regular M-Line route. Headways for all stations along the route will be approximately 15 minutes during peak hours. Since all vehicles will serve all stations, passengers can board at any stop along the route and reach the Lakefront station without needing to transfer.