The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, announced today the initial rollout of a new real-time solution designed to improve the rider experience for streetcar users.

The TransLoc Rider service, developed by TransLoc – an industry leader in transit technology – offers a host of rider amenities including real-time positioning of all streetcars along the route, next vehicle arrival time estimates for each station, the ability to receive alerts when a vehicle is nearing a particular station and a platform for providing system alerts when service is impacted or delayed.

"We’re still in the early stages of rolling out this real-time solution and will continue working to add additional amenities and monitor the system’s accuracy, but given the inclement weather we’re experiencing, we wanted to get this asset into the hands of our riders as quickly as possible," Milwaukee Commissioner of Public Works Jeff Polenske said.

"With slower conditions on the road today, riders can start tracking the streetcars now to get a better sense of arrival times."

The free TransLoc Rider app is available for iOS devices on iTunes here or for Android devices via Google Play here. Upon launching the app, users should select "M-Line: Burns Commons to Intermodal Station" as the selected route. Vehicle location information can also be accessed via the web on either desktop or mobile platforms at thehopmke.transloc.com/. Additionally, riders can access arrival information via SMS by texting HOPMKE [Station Code] to 41411. (Station codes can be found by clicking on the map in the link above.)