On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced it had entered into a $174.1 million federal grant agreement with Kansas City, Mo., for the Kansas City Streetcar Main Street Extension Project.
The project, which will improve transportation options in the area, will add an estimated 3.5 miles of line to the original two-mile Kansas City Streetcar line. The new route will run from Union Station in downtown Kansas City to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
“This $174.1 million federal grant agreement will extend the streetcar line, better connecting residents to jobs and essential services, critically important as the economy recovers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The streetcar line has resulted in more than $2 billion in economic development throughout the Streetcar Development District since 2012. The city, and the USDOT, anticipate that the expansion project will increase economic development in the area as well.
“FTA is proud to support the expansion of the Kansas City Streetcar, which will link riders with jobs and educational opportunities at the university, along with access to community services along the line,” said FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams. “The project reflects our partnership with Kansas City to improve transit service and support economic development.”
The extension includes nine stations, transit signal priority, and improvements to intersections and sidewalks, for a total cost of $351.7 million. Funding for the $174.1 million from the FTA comes from the agency’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program. The project will join another project – the Riverfront Extension – which received a USDOT grant for $14.2 million in September.