The Kansas City Streetcar’s Riverfront extension is now in the testing phase.
KC Streetcar Authority Executive Director Tom Gerend said the first tests in mid-December went as well as they had hoped, and the extension appears on track to open next spring, perhaps in April.
“We always are committed to doing this the right way,” Gerend said. “The team has made great progress ahead of schedule, but we want to make sure that we do the work that’s necessary to open it right.”
Gerend said more tests will be conducted in the coming months to help crews determine what works well and what needs more attention. In the first quarter of next year, the KC Streetcar Authority will hold orientation for employees.
“We’ll need to push all of our staff through becoming familiar with the new route, with operating streetcars and testing streetcars on it,” Gerend said. “Making sure everything works as an integrated system before we get ready to launch this in public service.”
Gerend said the testing process is federally regulated, as the Main Street extension was. Traffic may experience minor delays over the next few months, with the possibility of the closure of Grand Boulevard between Third Street and the Riverfront.
“There's always going to be more work to do, and we still have a little ways to go on the project,” Gerend said. “It’s really a big relief for the project team and a big milestone as we look to push through the final finishing touches early next year and open the route next spring.”
The Kansas City Streetcar’s Main Street extension opened in October, after years of construction. The long-awaited grand opening was met with a weekend of community celebrations.
That 3.5-mile extension stretches from Union Station to the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Once the new extension opens, riders will be able to take the streetcar the entire route, from the Riverfront to UMKC.
“We really are pushing forward what we think is the generational reconnection of our Riverfront,” Gerend said. “So excited to connect all of the extended streetcar routes up to the Riverfront through a one-seat ride.”
