By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
August 5, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – With streetcar construction about done in the River Market, residents took the time to celebrate all their patience last week.

There was a good sized crowd occupying Fifth Street between Main and Walnut Streets last week. If it wasn’t for the rail announcement, then it was to gobble up the free food and drinks and enjoy the live entertainment. The city gathered residents, restauranteurs and public officials to celebrate the progress of the streetcar in the River Market, as well as to showcase the artwork featured on the streetcar platform.

Surrounded by incoming and outgoing members of the City Council, Mayor Sly James announced to the crowd the last piece of streetcar rail has been laid, as well as every “bit of rail that we needed to lay has been laid.” In total, 2.2 miles of track and 21,000 feet of rail are in the ground in Kansas City. With these pieces in place, James proclaimed Kansas City is re-establishing itself as a transportation hub. There are still roads to travel, but the mayor added this is the first step to being closer to that goal.

“This streetcar is changing the face of the city and you can see it right here in the River Market,” James said. “What we’re all witnessing, and what a lot of people said couldn’t happen, is we are witnessing a huge boom in economic development throughout the entire TDD [Transportation Development District].”

Currently, over 80 percent of the streetcar project is complete. Works continues on streetcar platforms along the route and anticipated completion of all private (third-party) utility work is the end of the summer. Systems work, such as the overhead power system, will continue through the summer and streetcar vehicles are estimated to arrive this fall. Before he left, James, and other city members, autographed the last piece of rail before it was to be installed.

“Pretty soon, we’ll be ready to rock and roll,” James said.

Since the beginning of streetcar, the city has been the recipient of $1.3 billion in development projects. James said streetcar doubters will say those two things are just coincidence, but he quipped that coincidence should be tested on every street in Kansas City, “to see what we can do.”

This project received the largest Tiger Grant for a streetcar project in the United States, which has provided for 20 percent of the streetcar project. Platform artist, and Kansas City resident, Celina Curry, also received a grant to commission art for several stops along the streetcar line. Curry was also on hand to showcase her work. During the evening, the city announced they’ll continue working with Curry on two more platforms, one on the corner of Third Street and Grand Boulevard and the second along Delaware Street.