Dorri Partain
Managing Editor

The final extension of the downtown KC Streetcar will link stops from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) to Berkley Riverfront Park with a Grand Opening celebration on Monday, May 18.

This $62 million Riverfront Extension takes passengers on a 0.7 mile trek in less than three minutes, with a final stop just a short walk from The Union apartments, Origin Hotel, Two Birds One Stone beer garden, CPKC Stadium, and housing units currently under construction.

The Grand Opening Ceremony at 11 a.m. will also reveal the new CPKC Pavillion, a $5 million project designed as a “front door” to continuing riverfront development. Designed by Burns & McDonnell features a wide, artistic metal canopy and ten vertical beacons of light to symbolize Kansas City’s deep connection with the Missouri River which flows through and has shaped its history.

The event will feature remarks from representatives of the Federal Transit Administration, Mayor Quinton Lucas, City Councilmembers, state and local elected officials, project partners, and community stakeholders. Following a ribbon-cutting slated for 11:15 a.m., the Riverfront Extension will begin service southward to the River Market, downtown, Union Station, Country Club Plaza, to the terminus at UMKC (52nd St. & Troost Avenue). 

Riders catching the Riverfront streetcar northward will utilize the stop on Grand Blvd. at Third St. following the official ribbon-cutting, when official extension service will begin. For River Market visitors and residents catching the streetcar southward, they will still wait at the Third St. stop at Grand Blvd.

Following the ceremony, the public is invited to a celebration in the park, just north of the streetcar stop. From 12 to 2 p.m., entertainment will be provided by DJ Ness, The Royal Chief, and Jason D’Vaude, The Circus Man. Various food trucks and yard games will complete this free event provided through support of these project partners and sponsors, including Radmacher Brothers Excavating, HDR, HNTB, Herzog Transit, Inc., Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Port KC, Burns & McDonnell, CAF, RS Electric, Mass Electric, Parson + Associates, and others. 

Donna Mandelbaum with the KC Streetcar Authority suggested celebration attendees can park at the riverfront parking areas, catch a bus from the River Market stop or use the newly-completed bike and pedestrian pathway, accessible from Third St. and Grand Blvd.

“The Riverfront Extension represents the next chapter in Kansas City’s investment in connected, accessible transit, and it’s the result of strong collaboration among our project partners who share a vision for the city’s future. Opening this line returns us to the riverfront—where Kansas City first began— and is a powerful reflection of the momentum we’re building together,” said Tom Gerend, Executive Director, KC Streetcar Authority in a May 6 press release.

Planning for the Riverfront Extension began in 2016, with construction officially breaking ground in March 2024.

Construction was led by Radmacher Brothers Excavating (RBE), supported by a team including RS/WITEC JV, Delta Rail, Wilson & Company, PM Dynamics, Boundary & Construction Surveying, IBC, Grey Diamond, Realm Construction, Hayes Drilling, Welch Erosion Control, and Parson + Associates.  The project was delivered through a partnership between the KC Streetcar Authority, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), Port KC, and the City of Kansas City, Missouri. This extension was funded through a combination of federal and local sources. 

KC Streetcar operates Monday-Thursday from 6 a.m. to midnight, Friday, 6 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday, 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday, 7 a.m. to midnight. During peak ridership hours, riders can expect to wait 10-15 minutes between streetcars and 12-18 minutes during off-peak hours.

Operating hours are reduced on holidays and posted at kcstreetcar.org