KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers local government in Kansas and Missouri. He has been a member of the On Track with KC team since March. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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After years of planning and construction, passengers will be able to ride the Kansas City Streetcar’s Main Street Extension this week.
A grand opening ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, at the new Plaza stop.
What is the extension?
The Main Street Extension is a 3.5-mile addition to the current streetcar route, which opened in 2016.
The extension picks up right where the current “starter” route ends at Union Station. Passengers don’t have to disembark and transfer to a new streetcar.
Traveling south on Main Street to East 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard, the southern extension provides access to eight new stops.
- World War I Museum and Memorial at 27th and Main streets
- Union Hill at 31st and Main streets
- Armour at 35th and Main streets
- Westport at 39th and Main streets
- Southmoreland at 43rd and Main streets
- Art Museums at 45th and Main streets
- Plaza at Cleaver II and Brookside Boulevard
- UMKC at 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard
Tom Gerend, executive director of the KC Streetcar Authority, sees the extension as a more practical transit mode for commuters, visitors and others.
“This represents a change in function," Gerend said. "We’re growing from a downtown circulator to the spine of a regional system.”
Construction on the project broke ground in April 2022.
How much does it cost?
The streetcar remains fare-free for passengers. You simply hop aboard and ride without having to pay for or present a ticket.
The Main Street Extension cost roughly $350 million to construct. Project leaders said they finished under budget and plan to spend about $7 million in leftover project funds on enhancements — like sidewalk improvements, better signage and landscaping — along the extension.
A federal grant approved during President Donald Trump’s first term covered $174 million of the project.
The Main Street Rail Transportation Development District collects a 1% sales tax from retailers along the route.
Property owners within roughly a third of a mile of the route pay a special assessment.
The sales tax and property assessment combine to cover the local portion of construction and the cost of ongoing operations and maintenance.
Why is there red paint on the pavement along the streetcar tracks?
The streetcar will travel in transit-only lanes along the Main Street Extension. These lanes are marked in solid red paint, with a solid white line along the edge.
Motorists are not allowed to drive on pavement covered in solid red.
“Red bars mean no cars,” the KC Streetcar Authority pointed out in an explainer video.
There are transition zones marked with red lines and a dashed white line. Motorists can drive in this area to make a right-hand turn or to park along the curb.
A new city ordinance allows police to fine violators with a ticket of at least $50, and vehicles stopped in transit-only lanes can be towed at the owner’s expense.
These lanes allow the streetcar to have an unimpeded path, making the system run more efficiently and on schedule.
The city hopes the changes also make Main Street safer for pedestrians and other road users.
“Our goal is to see, long-term, slower speeds and find a more attractive space for those who are looking to go through Main on foot, bike or other forms," Mayor Quinton Lucas said at a July press conference announcing the transit-only lanes.
When can you ride the new route?
Passengers can board the new route upon the conclusion of a grand opening ceremony on Friday, Oct. 24.
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and will end close to 11 a.m.
Streetcars will be stationed along the extension, ready to begin service at the same time. You do not need to be at one specific stop to catch the first streetcar on the extension.
The KC Streetcar is hosting two community celebrations recognizing the completion of the project.
The first begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, at the University of Kansas City-Missouri stop. The second begins at noon on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Murray Davis Park.
A commemorative poster designed by a Kansas City Art Institute student will be available at the events.
The KC Streetcar is expanding its hours of operation in conjunction with opening the extension. Service will now begin at 5 a.m. on weekdays instead of 6 a.m.
This change is partially because the extension is somewhat replacing RideKC’s Main Street MAX bus line, which ended Oct. 19. The bus line began service at 5 a.m.
What’s next for KC Streetcar?
KC Streetcar hopes to open its Riverfront Extension in the first quarter of 2026. That extension carries the “starter” route north from Third Street and Grand Boulevard to Berkley Riverfront Park.
Additionally, KC Streetcar announced this year it is studying the possibility of adding an east-west streetcar line to the 18th & Vine Jazz District.
There are ongoing studies about taking the streetcar across the Missouri River to North Kansas City and adding an east-west line from the University of Kansas Health System toward the Kansas City VA Medical Center.
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