streetcar

From downtown to midtown, Brookside and everywhere in between, KCUR put together a list of the best shops, restaurants, cafes and museums to explore along the new KC Streetcar extension.

The Main Street extension of the Kansas City streetcar line is finally open for riders after years of disruptive construction. The owners of Crows Coffee and Ragazza say they're trying to capitalize on the increased foot traffic.

After years of construction, the KC Streetcar has more than doubled its length. The Main Street extension adds 3.5 miles of streetcar track and extends the route south from Union Station to 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard, near the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The traffic cones have all but left Main Street as the Streetcar Extension opens after more than three years of construction, but now drivers will face a new obstacle: transit-only lanes. Plus: Raising giant pumpkins is a labor of love for some Midwest growers, and the pumpkins keep getting bigger and bigger.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss the city's projected $100 million budget deficit in 2027, the streetcar extension on Main Street opening later this week and where things stand on new stadiums for the Royals and Chiefs.

The new extension through Midtown and the Plaza area also brings transit-only lanes. Drivers can get fined or towed for driving and parking in the lanes, which are meant to help the streetcar move faster.

KC Streetcar hosted a preview ride Wednesday along the Main Street extension, ahead of its opening on Friday, Oct. 24. Here’s what the Union Station to University of Missouri-Kansas City loop was like.

RideKC is discontinuing the popular Main Max bus line to avoid duplicating service with the KC Streetcar’s Main Street extension. A new route will take riders further south to 75th Street, while other bus lines undergo changes to connect riders to streetcar stops.

For anyone who wants to get “knee-deep in the passenger seat” this weekend, you’ll have a hard time finding where to park in Kansas City. Two sold-out concerts by Missouri's own Chappell Roan, KC Oktoberfest and First Friday are all happening simultaneously.

The streetcar extension will take passengers from the River Market to the Plaza. Multiple days of celebrations are planned along the route. The extension also means changes along Main Street, like transit-only lanes.

At Ding Dong Dogs just west of UMKC, you can get The Roo-Up Dog, a jumbo dog topped with pulled pork, pickled red onion, sport peppers and barbecue mustard. Or bite into The Big Salvy, the same jumbo wiener smothered with caramelized onion, giardiniera, tots and mustard.

IRIS workers say they were misled about pay and aren't being treated fairly by their employer zTrip. Drivers demanded the right to unionize last year.