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.
—
An opening date for the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension is expected to be announced by the end of the month.
The southern extension adds 15 new stops.
"We're already starting in a really dense, transit-rich corridor that had the Main Street Max since 2005 and had transit ridership that was active," said Tom Gerend, executive director of the Kansas City Streetcar Authority. "We were really looking at that existing demand, existing residential development and neighborhoods that could be provided a higher quality transit service, and then thinking about growth and development opportunities in the future."
With the Main Street extension, nearly every intersection along the southern route was screened.
A project team was then tasked with gathering input from residents and stakeholders while considering the following criteria:
- Regional connectivity
- Bus integration
- Potential ridership
- Demand
- Economic development
- Local expressed desire
- Spacing (cost plus travel time)
- Equitable access to service (5-minute walk)
"These are long-term, really 50-year decisions," Gerend said. "So it's why we spend a lot of time on the front-end thinking about where the stations go, how they integrate into the broader regional transit network, because they're not just easy to pick up and move and relocate. They really are the foundation to the system that we're building."
Then, there’s the selection of stop names. Riders will notice there are specific names associated with each stop — like Union Station, Power and Light, and River Market — and not cross streets.
Gerend says the names are to help daily riders and visitors navigate through Kansas City.
Once the southern extension is open, new ridership trends are expected to take place, with the University of Missouri-Kansas City stop slated to see the most growth.
"South Kansas City, the southeast or even northeast Johnson County that's accessing the system will likely access our system from the south end," Gerend said. "And not to mention, obviously, the demand that UMKC in the neighborhoods and the Plaza will be generating on their own."
—
KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers transportation-related issues in Kansas City. Share your story idea with Daniela.