Streetcars in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Kenosha Streetcars

A PCC streetcar touring HarborPark
Overview
Locale	Kenosha, Wisconsin
Transit type	Heritage streetcar
Number of lines	1
Number of stations	17
Operation
Began operation	June 17, 2000
Operator(s)	Kenosha Transit
Technical
System length	1.7 mi (2.7 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Electrification	Overhead lines, 600 V DC
System map Kenosha Public Museum 2nd Ave. 3rd Ave. 4th Ave. 5th Ave. 6th Ave. 7th Ave. 8th Ave. 10th Ave. 54th St. | 56th St. Kenosha UP-N

Streetcars were part of the public transit service in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the first third of the 20th century and returned to this role in 2000.

The first Kenosha Electric Railway (KERy) was a street railway serving the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States, from February 3, 1903, through February 14, 1932. Throughout these twenty-nine years of service, the system operated Birney Safety Cars. Although it had several owners, the original name was used throughout its history and is still attached to the current streetcar line in Kenosha. In 1932 the Kenosha system was converted to electric trolley buses, making Kenosha an early user of these vehicles for all transit operations (both Ipswich and Darlington in the UK converted entirely to trolley buses in 1926). Kenosha also utilized color-coding for transit routes, a more common practice in horsecar days but used by Glasgow on its electric cars from the beginning.

At the turn of the 21st century, Kenosha constructed a modern electric streetcar system utilizing historic PCC streetcars in coordination with the HarborPark development on the shores of Lake Michigan. The line has become a model project studied by urban planners worldwide, and is used by thirty percent of visitors to Kenosha.

Installation of the tram track sub-base was completed in the autumn of 1998 and utilized crushed concrete from the foundations of the 1870-era Simmons Bedding Company/American Motors Corporation office and plant buildings east of Fifth Avenue. As the new streets in HarborPark were completed in the fall of 1999, crews installed new 115-pound-per-yard (57 kg/m) continuously welded rail streetcar track over modern concrete ties (except for standard wooden ties under grade crossings). Electric overhead line construction for 600-volt direct current was completed in April 2000 and energized by a modern solid state substation.