This story is part of an ongoing series, On Track with KC. If you have questions about the extension of the streetcar, you can submit them here.
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Last month, a viewer reached out to KSHB 41 via X regarding the intersection of Brookside Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, an intersection along the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension.
That viewer shared a picture of the aftermath of a crash involving a streetcar at the intersection. Kansas City, Missouri, police said the crash resulted in minor injuries, and there was no indication medical attention was needed on scene.
However, the streetcar did sustain some damage, which is visible in the picture below.
The southern streetcar extension is set to begin service Oct. 24, bringing new traffic patterns to Main Street like transit-only lanes. The lanes are scattered throughout the extension and will be marked by a combination of curbs, medians, solid red pavement with red and white markings, and the addition of "Streetcar Only" signs.
To help alert drivers to the upcoming changes, the city of Kansas City, Missouri, and the KC Streetcar Authority have launched an educational campaign on social media and released a video.
Currently, streetcars are conducting tests and are routinely seen along the Main Street extension, including the intersection of MLK and Brookside. On Monday, KSHB 41 observed the area and captured multiple close calls.
We spotted multiple drivers failing to stop at limit lines across the intersection and stopping in the middle of pedestrian walkways.
One driver failed to stop at the boundary line coming west on MLK. As a result, it blocked a streetcar test run.
Luckily, the driver was able to reverse their SUV, allowing the streetcar to proceed.
There is a "No Right Turn On Red" sign posted along MLK alerting traffic heading north on Brookside, which becomes Main Street. But still, multiple cars were captured making a right turn on MLK.
It's important to note that once the streetcar crosses the intersection, automatic no-turn signs are triggered.
KSHB 41 also witnessed a close call involving a white SUV coming from Ward Parkway and turning north.
The SUV was seen hitting the cement median and driving through the Plaza Transit Center, a zone that will soon be a stop meant to accommodate streetcars, bus services and bike facilities. No vehicle traffic is permitted.
Most notably, the SUV narrowly missed Jahmir, a University of Missouri-Kansas City student who was on his way to class.
"I would say it’s not safe because of what you just witnessed that could have been me," he said. "I think there needs to be more safety crossing the intersection, especially for pedestrians like me.”
The extension is a collaborative partnership between the city of KCMO, KCSA and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.
KSHB 41 alerted the city and showed Jason Waldron, director of transportation, the videos we captured.
On Tuesday, city crews were spotted installing additional signage along the intersection. However, those additions had already been in the works as part of the final touches needed before the extension's opening.
"Videos that you shared, we see those videos, too. And once those become patterns, then we say, 'All right, what can we do to make it safer?'" Waldron said. "There were a few items that had some lead time on it that we had to wait for it to be delivered just because of production delays."
According to KCPD, from Jan. 1, 2022, to Sept. 15, 2025, there have been 20 reported crashes at the intersection of Brookside and MLK; 0 fatality crashes, 5 injury crashes and 15 property-damage only crashes. Signal violations led as the main contributing factor.
When examining high-crash locations in the city between Jan. 1, 2022, and Sept. 11, 2025, KCPD said there were 2,036 locations in KCMO that had more reported crashes than MLK and Brookside.
“We will continue the education, tweak our traffic engineering and, if [we] need to, we may need to lend some enforcement to change some of those behaviors and patterns," Waldron said.
KCPD confirmed enforcement will proceed much like any other enforceable city traffic ordinance, and the department will routinely follow up on traffic complaints made by community members.
To alert police, you can submit a traffic complaint directly to the department.
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KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers transportation-related issues in Kansas City. Share your story idea with Daniela.