Dive Brief:
- Kansas City, Missouri’s streetcar extension to the city’s riverfront opened Monday following a morning press conference and ceremony.
- The $62 million, 0.7-mile addition to the existing 5.7-mile line connects a soccer stadium to the city’s downtown, convention center, museums and the University of Missouri–Kansas City campus.
- “The Riverfront Extension represents the next chapter in Kansas City’s investment in connected, accessible transit,” KC Streetcar Authority Executive Director Tom Gerend said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Opening day for the KC streetcar extension also marked the 10th anniversary of when the city’s first streetcar segment went into operation.
“Since its opening 10 years ago, the Kansas City Streetcar system has carried millions of riders, spurred billions in development activity, and reconnected Kansas Citians and our visitors with efficient, reliable, free, and safe fixed rail transit through the core of our city,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement.
The KC Streetcar system is free to ride. It is funded by sales tax and real estate taxes and a special assessment on certain parking lots collected through a local transportation development district.
Planning for the extension began in 2016, with ground-breaking in March 2024. Construction included more than 8,300 feet of new track and a new traction power sub-station to support the electrically powered trains.
A new bike-pedestrian bridge, which connects the River Market to the riverfront, opened May 8, separate from the streetcar line. "Kansas City is quickly becoming a world-class connected riverfront for all, and everyone will soon be able to enjoy it,” Jon Stephens, Port KC President and CEO, said in a statement.
Fourteen modern streetcar systems have been built in the U.S. since 2000, with Washington, D.C.’s closing earlier this year. Streetcars typically run in roadways, whereas light rail trains generally have dedicated lanes.
Another streetcar line is due to open this year in Orange County, California, connecting Santa Ana’s downtown and transportation hub with the city of Garden Grove over a 4.15-mile route.
