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The Kansas City Streetcar Authority has opened two extensions in the last seven months, and the newest — connecting riders to the Berkley Riverfront — opens Monday, May 18.
Here are three things to know if you want to ride to the river.
1. Hours of operation
Regular streetcar service begins at 5 a.m. Monday, but riders will only be able to travel between UMKC and the River Market until after the official opening ceremony. Frequencies of 10 to 15 minutes remain unchanged during that time.
Donna Mandelbaum, communications director for the KC Streetcar Authority, said the riverfront extension will be available to riders after the ceremony.
"So if you join us for the ceremony, you could still take the streetcar, head to the River Market, get off at your River Market stop, and then take the bicycle pedestrian bridge over to the Riverfront and join in the festivities. But if you're down here after the ceremony, then you can hop back on the streetcar and get back to where you came from," Mandelbaum said.
Once the extension officially opens, it will follow the same hours of operation as the rest of the line:
- Sunday – Thursday: 5 a.m. – Midnight
- Friday: 5 a.m. – 1 a.m.
- Saturday: 5 a.m. – 1 a.m.
2. You're invited to the party
The opening ceremony starts at 11 a.m. with remarks from Mayor Quinton Lucas and other officials. Once that is over, the streetcar will get moving. The day then transitions into a riverfront picnic from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. with food trucks, games and live music — including a performance by Kansas City-based rapper Jamel Thompson, also known as The Royal Chief.
"The whole experience, you know, the music, the celebration, the people, the food, just everything in general — I just want people to just take it all in and really like live in the moment and experience that." Thompson said.
The full lineup includes:
- Music by DJ Ness and The Royal Chief
- Jason D'Vaude, The Circus Man
- Food trucks
- Yard Games
- MADE MOBB Pop-Up
The first 500 people to show up get a $10 food voucher to use at the picnic.
3. The history
The riverfront is considered the origin of Kansas City, but the area was neglected for many decades. It used to be a landfill for construction debris and the former site of a sand-and-gravel company. The city turned it into a 17-acre public green space back in 1999.
Over the last 10 years, there has been significant growth along the riverfront. The KC Streetcar Authority says the extension is part of a broader effort to bring people back.
"We're very excited to welcome people back to the riverfront. If you haven't been here in a while, a lot has changed. If you've been frequenting here, keep coming back, and now you have another way to get here. You could get it here by bus, streetcar, car, bike, foot, scooter, all the modes to enjoy the riverfront." Mandelbaum said.
Looking ahead, the KC Streetcar Authority is still exploring two east-to-west line extensions and another that would cross the river along the Heart of America Bridge to connect with North Kansas City. For now, though, no further construction is planned for the streetcar besides completing the CPKC Pavilion stop.
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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