KC Streetcar

KC Streetcar

Streetcar 803 leaving Union Station, northbound
Overview
Owner	City of Kansas City, Missouri
Locale	Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Transit type	Streetcar
Number of lines	1
Number of stations	10
Daily ridership	6,800
Website	kcstreetcar.org
Operation
Began operation	May 6, 2016
Operator(s)	Kansas City Streetcar Authority
Character	Street running
Number of vehicles	4 CAF Urbos 3 model 100
Technical
System length	2.2 mi (3.5 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V overhead line
Route diagram to service facility River Market North 3rd & Grand River Market West 4th & Delaware City Market 5th & Walnut I-35 / I-70 North Loop 7th & Main Library 9th & Main 10th & Main MetroCenter Metro Center 12th & Main Power & Light 14th & Main I-670 Kauffman Center 16th & Main Crossroads 19th & Main Kansas City Terminal Railway Union Station Pershing & Main = B-cycle bike share This template:

The KC Streetcar, formally branded as the RideKC Streetcar, is a streetcar system in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Construction began in May 2014. The system opened for service on May 6, 2016.

The downtown streetcar runs along a 2.2-mile-long (3.5 km) route between the River Market and Union Station, running through the central business district and the Crossroads, mostly along Main Street. It make stops about every two blocks. Along the way it connects directly with Amtrak, local and commuter bus services (including a direct route to Kansas City International Airport), and several B-cycle bike-share kiosks.

Proponents tout this initial linear segment as one of the simplest and straightest modern streetcar routes in the United States. All platforms offer level boarding and real-time arrival information.

The streetcar is operated by the Kansas City Streetcar Authority, a not-for-profit corporation. The authority was incorporated in August 2012 after voters approved creation of the Kansas City Downtown Transportation Development District, a special taxing district that will fund construction and operation of a two-mile streetcar route through downtown Kansas City. Legal claims against the district and its taxation power were dismissed in August 2013. The streetcar began construction in May 2014, was completed in fall 2015, and began carrying passengers in service on May 6, 2016.

The Streetcar Authority's 13 directors, a mix of public officials, business people, and transit advocates, were appointed in late 2012 and met for the first time as an officially sanctioned body in early 2013. The authority's oversight of the streetcar's operation and maintenance is modeled on that of the Portland Streetcar. The city council has the power to appoint some of the authority's directors and retains ownership over the system.