Do visiting Republicans also think The Hop is a boondoggle?

Monday morning, The Hop streetcar pulled slowly into the intermodal station stop, just one block south of the Baird Center, where the Republican National Convention had been holding events for over two hours. Two passengers got off. Neither headed to the convention. The streetcar was quiet and empty.

Republicans in-state have called The Hop, Milwaukee's free streetcar, a "boondoggle" hogging funds from essential resources. The Republican-led Act 12 cut off The Hop's funding sources and complicated any attempt to expand its route. But what do out-of-state Republicans say?

It's unclear — they don't seem to be riding it.

One Hop driver said Monday morning that they did not notice an increase in riders due to the RNC. Another said the same thing later that day.

Lisa Moreno, a Republican delegate from California, said that her itinerary — and transportation — are locked-in, leaving little time to navigate the city independently.

"Part of being a delegate is accepting you have to go where you're told," Moreno said.

Her staff said it was unlikely they would be riding The Hop or other public transportation during the convention.

Moreno and staff members used charter buses to navigate the city. They said they were staying at a hotel in Brookfield. A charter bus picked them up and took them to the Summerfest grounds Sunday, where they went to the "Red, White and Brew" party which kicked off the convention.

Attendees could have taken The Hop to the "Red, White and Brew" party — if they wanted to walk 15 additional minutes under freeways from the nearest stop.

In theory, The Hop is a convenience to RNC guests.

Both City Hall stops are a short walk from the West State Street entrance to the RNC soft perimeter. The M-Line southbound station is located near E. Kilbourne Avenue and N. Broadway and takes riders to the Third Ward and Intermodal Station. The M-Line northbound line is located near E. Kilbourne Avenue and N. Milwaukee Street, and takes riders to Burns Commons. From there riders can explore Yankee Hill, walk east to a staircase that leads to Veterans Park, or walk north to explore the lower east side.

The L-Line also picks up and drops off at both City Hall stops, taking riders in a loop downtown and to the lakefront near Discovery World.

Nevertheless, RNC guests steered clear of The Hop Sunday evening and Monday.

On Tuesday afternoon, Hop ridership picked up substantially — a streetcar leaving from Burns Commons was nearly standing room only — but it appeared there still weren't many convention attendees.

Tiffany Shepherd, spokesperson for Milwaukee's Department of Public Works, said they did not have preliminary ridership numbers for The Hop during the first days of the RNC.

She said that The Hop would be affected like any car traffic downtown by motorcades that had happened routinely Monday and Tuesday during the RNC. She did not have any data on such disruptions.

"There has been some traffic due to the RNC that slowed us down a little bit with service," she said. "Otherwise we are up and running as normal."

Shepherd said that users can downtown The Hop app, or follow @HopAlerts on X.

"It's a safe and efficient way to get around and it's easier to navigate than a car," she said. "Take the loop, ride it around and explore."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Do visiting Republicans also think The Hop is a boondoggle?