KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The KC Streetcar Main Street extension plan just got a boost from the federal government in the form of $50.6 million.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced the funding on Aug. 26 as a part of the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program, a competitive program aimed at growing and maintaining mass transit systems.
“These critical rail transit infrastructure projects will help communities improve transit service as they continue to address the impacts of COVID-19 and recover from this public health emergency,” FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams said in the announcement.
The streetcar project would extend the line 3.5 miles from Union Station, where it currently stops, to UMKC at 51st Street. It will also add eight new stops along the way, including at Westport, the Nelson-Atkins Museum and the Country Club Plaza.
However, the federal grant is less than a third of the money the city was hoping for.
When the federal government approved the city’s expansion plan, city officials said they need $174 million to begin construction. It’s unclear if the city is expecting other avenues of revenue.
The Kansas City infrastructure project was one of four grant recipients, totaling $400 million in federal funds. Other winning municipalities include Phoenix for a light rail extension, Gary, Indiana, for a commuter rail line to Michigan City, and Hudson County, New Jersey, for a bridge replacement.
“This $400 million federal investment will help ensure that critical updates can be made to our country’s public transit systems so they remain safe and operational,” Chao said in the announcement.
“The KC Streetcar has proven to be a tremendous success ever since the first tracks were laid.
In just four years, over eight million Kansas Citians have traveled between the River Market and Union Station free-of-charge thanks to the streetcar, with well over six thousand riders taking advantage of the light-rail system each day.
Given the positive impact that the streetcar has had on residents and businesses throughout the city, I was happy to join fellow Members of Congress from Missouri and Kansas in supporting the Kansas City Streetcar Authority’s recent grant application submitted to the Department of Transportation.
With this funding, the KC Streetcar will significantly expand its scope, reach a greater number of Kansas Citians, and make our city more far more accessible, all while boosting the local economy.
I want to acknowledge the strong support of Congressman Sam Graves in moving this project forward, and I look forward to working with him on a bipartisan basis to make sure it gets across the finish line.“
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver
LATEST STORIES:
