The Riverfront Extension for the KC Streetcar Authority is completed and slated for passenger service, officials with the transit agency in Kansas City, Mo., said.
Now that the $62 million, 0.7-mile streetcar extension is finished, officials will hold a press conference on May 18 to mark the transit agency’s investment in transit, connectivity and riverfront revitalization.
“The Riverfront Extension connects neighborhoods, opens the river to more Kansas Citians, and shows what’s possible when we invest in smart, sustainable transit,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “From UMKC to the riverfront, the KC Streetcar keeps weaving our city together, and the extension is the latest proof that we’re committed to making Kansas City more accessible for all.”
The extension connects the existing 5.7-mile streetcar route to Kansas City’s riverfront starting at 3rd Street and Grand Boulevard in the River Market, crossing the Grand Boulevard Bridge and extending to the midpoint of Berkley Riverfront. The extension connect riders from the University of Missouri–Kansas City to the riverfront.
“We are reconnecting our riverfront for the next generation” Tom Gerend, Executive Director, KC Streetcar Authority, said. “This streetcar extension represents our intentional return to where it all started and will serve as the new northern terminus for the 6.5–mile transit spine connecting our growing riverfront to downtown, UMKC, and everything in between.”
Currently in pre-revenue operations phase, which will test the system and train the streetcar operations staff, the streetcars will be in operation and running along the extended route until cleared for passenger service.