KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Streetcar service will be suspended for one week beginning Monday, September 8, as crews complete maintenance work ahead of the opening of the Main Street Extension.
From September 8 to 14, the streetcar will be offline, but service will continue with a fare-free “Streetcar Link” bus running the same route. The buses will operate during normal streetcar hours and arrive every 12 to 15 minutes.
“We are still going to keep you moving. Riders can still board from our streetcar stops,” said Donna Mandelbaum, communications and marketing director for the KC Streetcar Authority.
Most streetcar stops will be served during the shutdown, with two exceptions. Riders who normally board at River Market North can instead use the City Market, River Market West, or a temporary stop near 3rd Street and Walnut. Riders at Union Station Northbound will need to use the Union Station Southbound stop, where both boarding and exiting will take place during the pause.
The KC Streetcar Authority says the planned maintenance work is necessary to prepare for the October 24 opening of the Main Street Extension to UMKC. Crews will also take advantage of the downtime to complete work related to the Riverfront Extension.
“So we can address some maintenance needs that are needed downtown before opening up the southern extension,”said Mandelbaum. “We are also coordinating some riverfront extension work at the same time. We’re super efficient in that week, and we’re going to be working 12-hour shifts to get that done.”
The KC Streetcar Authority expects full streetcar service to resume on September 14.
KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
