Milwaukee streetcar electrical switches fail due to snow, salt
Milwaukee streetcar electrical switches fail
Winter weather and all that comes with it is wreaking havoc on Milwaukee's downtown streetcar system.
MILWAUKEE - Winter weather and all that comes with it is wreaking havoc on Milwaukee's downtown streetcar system.
What's at issue?
What we know:
The city's Department of Public Works (DPW) said snow and salt are causing electrical switches to short out – and that is causing repeated service shutdowns.
The Hop streetcar
Each time a shutdown happens, DPW officials said they have to inspect and clean out the switches before they can safely resume the streetcar's operation.
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DPW Finance Manager Chuck Schumacher told a Common Council committee on Thursday, Feb. 20 they hope to replace the malfunctioning switches when the weather dries out – but only if they can come up with the money.
Schumacher said the replacement switches cost about $100,000 each.
The Source: The information in this post was gathered from the Milwaukee Department of Public Works and the city's Public Works Committee.