Kansas City Streetcar Authority

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	16
Daily ridership	5,700
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 future extension to Riverfront & 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 future extension 27th & Main Linwood & Main Amour & Main 39th & Main 43rd & Main 45th & Main Emmanuel Cleaver II & Main 51st & Main = B-cycle bike share This diagram:

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 KC Streetcar is free to ride, as it is funded by a Transportation development district. As of November 30, 2017, the streetcar has a daily average ridership of 5,700 daily riders, logging over 3 million riders since opening.

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 makes stops about every two blocks. and has 16 designed stops along the route. Along the way it connects directly with Amtrak, local and commuter RIDE KC 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 that is funded by local taxes. The authority was incorporated in August 2012 after voters approved creation of the Kansas City Downtown Transportation Development District, a special taxing district that funds construction and operation of a two-mile 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 by the City Council and Port Authority 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.