4 NEWS FEATURE
OCTOBER 23, 2020
Streetcar set to expand south to UMKC, along Riverfront area
Kansas City’s streetcar will add an eight mile extension set to start construction in 2022 and be ready to open by 2025. Story by Rachel Robinson | Editor-in-Chief
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he original Kansas City Streetcar line first opened May 6, 2016, running primarily along Main St. on a two-mile track. It has been a staple of city life ever since, shuttling residents and tourists from Union Station all the way to the River Market. By 2025, the streetcar will have two more fully functional extensions running along the Riverfront area and south on Main St. to University of Missouri Kansas City. The Main St. extension plan was approved in May and the Riverfront plan just received approval for federal funding Sept. 11. The Riverfront extension will be relatively small, only 0.55 miles. Comparatively, the Main St. extension will expand the streetcar’s reach by quite a bit, adding 3.6 miles to the current 2 mile route. Both extensions plan to start construction in early 2022, at the latest, with the Riverfront extension opening in 2024 and the Main St. extension fully operating in 2025. Senior Molly Hirner thinks that the streetcar’s Main St. extension will be a good addition to the community and will help make the city more accessible. “I think like in Kansas City, we have a really bad public transportation system,” Hirner said. “And it’s kind of like — it’s basically impossible to live around here without a car. I think it’d be a lot easier — especially for college students who don’t
A streetcar stopped at Union station at sunset Sept 26. The highest percentage of passengers that board the streetcar is from the Union Station stop. photo by Caroline Hinkebein
have cars — for it to be right by like UMKC trying to move through it, they drive.” and kind of by Rockhurst. I also think it However, McLane does recognize that would just be better for the community, UMKC students would use an extension in and like tourism and it would help the city the South Plaza area and thinks that is a expand.” good end point for the new track. Hirner lives in Brookside, and she would “I feel like that would probably be a good use the streetcar if it had a route near her spot to go just because, including UMKC, because of the environmental harm and I know a lot of college students that live safety risks posed by driving are eliminated around the campus and I feel like they by public transportation systems like the might use it more than the people that streetcar. live, like, around the shops in Brookside,” “I think there’s just a lot to it like McLane said. “Just because I know those are environmental [benefits] obviously because more like families and they have cars, and cars are really bad for the environment and younger kids will just walk. I feel like if they also, I feel like it’s a lot safer,” Hirner said. go farther [north] like that it might be better “Cars and car accidents scare me. That’s why than if they were to just do like the main I feel like if I had public transportation and Brookside area. it was easier and more accessible to me, I’d John Martellaro is the director of strategic use it a lot more because I just would feel communications at the University of safer.” Missouri-Kansas City and he believes that Junior Hattie McLane does not think that the streetcar extension will be beneficial to Brookside is a good location for a streetcar the community in many ways. extension because of how crowded the “It will provide another convenient area already is with motor vehicles and means for our students, faculty and staff pedestrians. to come and go to campus, and take “I feel like it would just overcrowd more advantage of opportunities for living, without actually being used so it would take shopping, dining and entertainment up space,” McLane said. “It would just add across the city,” Martellaro said. “It will also another mode of transportation, besides enhance the opportunities for members the bus that already runs through there, and of the community to come to UMKC for the tons of cars and people that are already programming in areas such as performing there. And I don’t think it would get enough arts, entrepreneurship support, athletics, use based on how small of a little area it is. cultural programs and so much more.” B I feel like people mainly walk and if they’re
