KANSAS CITY, Mo — With the Main Street extension officially opening this Friday, we're taking a closer look at what’s next for the KC Streetcar, as they continue to make progress towards their extension up north.
The Riverfront Streetcar extension is set to come sometime in 2026.
Currently, orange cones, road blocks, and barriers are visible throughout this once dormant neighborhood as new businesses, apartment buildings, and entertainment districts, are set to come to this vibrant community.
"In 10 years, this is going to have roughly 4,000 to 5,000 people who call this home, which is bigger than some of the small towns in our state," said Meredith Hoenes, Director of Communications for Port KC. "World Cup is really kind of the marker for a lot of the work that you see down here."
One of the biggest changes the Riverfront neighborhood will see is public transit. The Kansas City Streetcar Riverfront Extension is nearing completion. It's future tracks and shelters have been placed as new signage and lights are being installed.
It comes as a new bike and pedestrian bridge is being built along Grand Boulevard, in an effort to reduce foot traffic on Grand which is a point of concern for the city and people living nearby.
"I noticed pedestrians walking on the bridge, and that's just unsafe to me, because, anything can happen, you got people that speed," said Rodney Callaway who lives in the Riverfront.
The new bridge is also expected to be operational sometime in 2026. Once the Riverfront extension is complete, the Streetcar line will stretch nearly 7 miles connecting UMKC to Berkley Riverfront Park.