KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. She is also a member of the On Track with KC team. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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The Kansas City Streetcar's highly anticipated Main Street Extension will begin service Friday, marking the end of a three-year construction project that has transformed the city's transit landscape.
The KC Streetcar Authority has planned a public ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday, with the first riders boarding immediately after. Community celebrations will continue Friday night and Saturday.
"We're past the hard part and we're now to the payoff," said Tom Gerend, KC Streetcar Authority executive director. "This is going down in the history books. Come be a part of history."
Local businesses along the route are getting involved, too, many of which have endured years of construction.
"A full three years. It was transitional on every corner," said Anna Paradise, general manager at Ragazza. "We were always so excited for this moment, this week."
Ragazza sits near the Southmoreland stop and will host a special Ragazza Ride event for the occasion.
"We're lucky enough to be on a corner with a stop right on our corner, which not many businesses, especially restaurants, can say," said Matthew Gonzales, assistant general manager at Ragazza. "So we're really curious what that will look like."
Businesses throughout the line are offering streetcar specials to welcome riders. Mainstreet Tavern will provide free coffee and donuts to celebrate the opening.
"Just having something fun for everybody that wants to come out and celebrate," said Mirella Welsh, Mainstreet Tavern owner.
There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the opening of the Main Street Extension. Click here to see the KC Streetcar's itinerary of celebratory events planned for this weekend.
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