KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. She is also a member of our On Track with KC team. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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The Kansas City Streetcar's Main Street extension is still in its first few days of operation, and behind the scenes, a new operations control center is working to monitor the expanded system.
The operations control center serves as the nerve center for streetcar operations, where staff monitor dozens of camera feeds and track every movement along the route. During opening weekend, they managed 11 streetcars simultaneously – more than ever before.
"It was still a lot of street cars on the route with passengers at the same time, a lot to manage and a lot to coordinate in our OCC," said Donna Mandelbaum, KC Streetcar Authority communications director.
The control center staff watch more than just the streetcars themselves. They monitor every stop, every pedestrian crossing, and all activity along the tracks.
"They're like the eyes in the sky," Mandelbaum said. "If there are any issues out on the route, if there are safety concerns, they could see it."
The Main Street extension was designed with increased pedestrian traffic in mind. The project included improved sidewalks, additional crosswalks, and enhanced pedestrian signals.
Riders have noticed the safety improvements. Joe Burnham, a streetcar rider I spoke to, said everything seems safe and the crosswalks are working well. A welcome change, since he rides with his young son.
“There's not anything I've noticed that's extra dangerous or that I'm concerned about,” said Burnham.
Fellow rider Lena Hughes appreciated the longer crossing times at intersections.
"I feel like the stop walks are long enough, especially on this long intersection here," Hughes said while at the Plaza stop. "I'm not trying to hustle to, you know, get to from point A to point B."
As the streetcar system prepares for another expansion into the Riverfront area, the operations control center will continue monitoring all moving parts of the system.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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