As the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance waits for a Jackson County Circuit Court to consider a new transportation district, leaders presented plans to City Council members to expand the streetcar route four miles south to UMKC.
“It’s not that today is the time to have the new line, today is the time to start the new process to get to the line,” said Doug Stone, an attorney who has been working on the streetcar expansion.
Expanding the streetcar is expected to take years since many people need to get on board and give the proposal a green light.
If the court approves the new district, voters in the area would vote in three separate elections—two of which would be write-in ballots.
The expansion is estimated to cost $227 million. Similar to how the current route was funded, businesses within the district would see a 1 percent sales tax increase. Kansas City would also apply for federal funding.
“We definitely would be interested in it, potential clients coming from different parts of the city,” said Donnie Quinn, the manager of Kin Lin located across the street from UMKC. “Especially with the influx of new residences coming into River Market, they would have access to these newer parts of town older residents of Kansas City know and love. It would let them have a chance to get to know us.”
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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.
