Main Street Extension of KC Streetcar scheduled for October 24 opening
The much-anticipated Kansas City Streetcar Main Street Extension is set to open on October 24, 2025. This extension will add 3.5 miles to the existing downtown streetcar route, extending from Union Station to 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard on the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) campus.
Planning for the project began in April 2017, with official groundbreaking on April 6, 2022. After about four years of construction, the extension is nearly complete, with final testing and finishing touches ongoing as of mid-2025.
The total cost of the Main Street Extension is $352 million, fully funded by a combination of $200 million in federal grant funds from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and $152 million in local funds from the Main Street Rail Transportation Development District.
The project includes improved public spaces, pedestrian access, and the purchase of eight new streetcars, increasing the fleet to 14 vehicles. The extension also connects with regional transit options such as the New Plaza Transit Center.
The KC Streetcar Main Street Extension provides an essential north-south transit spine through the heart of Kansas City, Missouri. With the addition of 15 new stops, the KC Streetcar system will span nearly six miles from the City Market to UMKC.
Streetcar operators, supervisors, and relevant staff are undergoing thorough training and familiarization with the new route to prepare for passenger service. The grand opening of the Main Street Extension will be celebrated as a significant day in public transportation in Kansas City.
Construction of the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension was led by KC Streetcar Constructors, a joint venture between Herzog Contracting Corp. and Stacy and Witbeck, with support from Burns & McDonnell and JE Dunn Construction. Landscaping, medians, and other streetscape elements have been improved, including the replacement of over 20,000 square feet of crosswalks, 145,000 square feet of sidewalks, 32,000 linear feet of curb, and 31,000 square feet of ADA ramps.
The project is currently in the pre-revenue, or pre-passenger, operations phase. Following this extension, a further streetcar extension to the Berkley Riverfront is expected to open in early 2026, with longer-term plans under study for east-west lines and river crossings.
A pedestrian plaza near 51st St. and Brookside Boulevard has been constructed to connect to the trolley track trail and local shops. A new plaza transit center that connects buses and streetcar routes has also been constructed.
The Kansas City Streetcar Main Street Extension is a significant step forward in the city's public transportation infrastructure, offering residents and visitors a convenient, eco-friendly way to travel across the city.
- The management of the transportation industry recognized the need for a financially viable solution in the Kansas City transportation sector, which led to the allocation of $200 million in federal grant funds for the rail-based project, the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension.
- With the completion of the Main Street Extension, various public transportation options, including buses, will now be interconnected, bringing added convenience to citizens and visitors in navigating the city.
- As the floodgates of improved transportation services open, the revenue generated from the changes will play a crucial role in the financing of future expansion projects in the city's transportation sector, such as the planned east-west lines and river crossings.
