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KC Streetcar advances plans for Main Street Extension to UMKC

Posted at 11:39 AM, Aug 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-20 12:39:34-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The KC Streetcar project team announced Monday it will advance plans to use outside-running line placement and has refined streetcar stops for the Main Street Extension to UMKC. 

The outside-running line has the streetcar operate on city streets with traffic rather than a center-running line, where the streetcar would run in the middle of the road. The current KC Streetcar line in the Crossroads, downtown, and River Market is an outside-running line. 

“We understand the operational challenges with an outside-running streetcar, but have learned a lot with our downtown operation and are proud of our 93+ percent on-time performance,” said Tom Gerend, executive director of the KC Streetcar Authority, in a news release. 

Click here to see more information on the KC Streetcar project team’s track alignment research.

The KC Streetcar project team said the outside-running track alignment will be implemented largely for the portion of the extension from Union Station to 45th Street. According to the news release, the section of the route between 45th Street and Volker Boulevard will undergo additional evaluation, and the southernmost route section between Volker Boulevard and 51st Street is planned to use the Country Club right-of-way. 

The KC Streetcar project team has also been working on refining streetcar stop locations and coordinated transit connections. 

The news release says the streetcar stop locations for the Main Street Exertion include: 

  • 27th Street
  • 31st Street
  • Armour Boulevard
  • 39th Street
  • 43rd Street
  • 45th Street
  • Cleaver Boulevard/Ward Parkway
  • 51st Street

According to the news release, the planning for the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension continues with the necessary environmental work and development of a funding strategy before moving forward in design. The Federal Transit Administration previously authorized the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension for “Project Development,” which is now largely complete. The news release says the next step in the federal process is to submit the project for a rating and to request a commitment of federal funds to the project. The rating submittal will include refined capital and operating costs, ridership estimates and a funding plan. 

The KC Streetcar project team consists of the KC Streetcar Authority, the KC Area Transportation Authority, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and the consultant team led by HDR, Inc.