KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, streetcar riders gave the new Main Street extension glowing reviews on its opening day, with most passengers awarding the long-awaited transit addition straight A's.
I collected rider report cards to let passengers grade the new streetcar service, and the results were overwhelmingly positive. Though it's worth noting that day one attracted many streetcar enthusiasts eager to experience the expansion.
"This is an A. I love it," Chris Beal, one of the first riders, said.
Jazmin Bustos was even more enthusiastic, giving the service an "A plus."
"They need an A. It's a new ride," Carla Hunt said.
I caught up with some of the first people to ride the streetcar's new Main Street extension, which has been in the making for years.
Construction began in 2022, six years after the original streetcar route opened downtown.
"It was amazing. Even with the rain," said Francisco Matos, who rode the streetcar with Daniel Del Valle on Friday morning.
Matos said he took off work Friday to be able to ride as soon as it opened.
"We've all been waiting for this," Daniel Del Valle said. “Especially since we live nearby, all the construction. Now to see it gone, it’s amazing.”
The Main Street extension is a 3.5-mile addition to the current route, which opened in 2016.
The eight new stops go from the World War One Museum to 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard.
"I think it'll open up the Midtown neighborhoods a lot more to people who maybe haven't been before," Sarah Davis said. "I live next to the Southmoreland stop, so I'm really excited to take it to work."
“It’ll open up so many more opportunities to go to businesses, or food or festivals, things like that," Mindy Cindrich-Beland said.
Some riders expect the extension to have daily impacts on their commutes and transportation options.
"They were cutting a lot of bus routes. So with them cutting them, I'm like I can get on the streetcar and make my way where I need to go easier," Shyeisha Duree said.
Even with delays on opening day, people stayed on board or were willing to wait.
"It’s alright, other than waiting," Hunt said. "It doesn’t matter. Everything breaks down."
The city says the project actually came in under budget from the $350 million allocation.
"We're probably paying for that, so that's a good thing," Del Valle said.
That budget includes sales tax dollars and special assessments on real estate and parking lots in the area.
David Johnson, a founding board member of the Kansas City Streetcar Authority, was predictably enthusiastic about the expansion.
"It's the best thing in my life," Johnson said jokingly.
Cost and accessibility are Johnson's top criteria for success.
"The platforms are level, so no step up to get in," Johnson said.
"It's clean, it's efficient and it's free," Bustos said.
Matos and Del Valle summed up their experience with the highest possible grade: "A plus plus plus plus."
KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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