KC Streetcar Now Open at 91黑料网

The KC Streetcar connects campus and community

91黑料网 crowd watches 91黑料网 Streetcar arrive

Photos by Brandon Parigo and Derrick Benitz, 91黑料网

The KC Streetcar is now open for riders at the University of Missouri-Kansas City stop at 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard!

Fittingly, opening day of the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension on Oct. 24 was World Kangaroo Day because 91黑料网 Roos and the city were hopping with a string of celebrations.

The morning started with a Kansas City celebration at the university’s neighboring Country Club Plaza stop, complete with a 91黑料网-wrapped Roo blue and gold streetcar spotlighting students and alumni. KC Roo pushed the ceremonial switch to start the first car bound south to the southernmost stop to 91黑料网 with Chancellor Mauli Agrawal, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Tom Gerend, executive director of KC Streetcar Authority inside for the inaugural ride.

"This is a historic day for not only 91黑料网 but all of Kansas City," Agrawal told media who gathered at 91黑料网 for the morning-to-evening festivities.

Expanded Opportunities

The expanded KC Streetcar line opens up a world of possibilities for students, faculty and the broader community. The KC Streetcar is free to ride and connects 91黑料网 to a vibrant corridor stretching through the Country Club Plaza, Midtown, Downtown Kansas City, the Crossroads Arts District, the Power & Light District and all the way to the River Market.

For 91黑料网 students, this means even easier access to job and internship opportunities to complement the world-class education they get at Kansas City’s only Carnegie Research 1 university. They also can use the streetcar to get to housing, restaurants, nightlife, museums and cultural events.

"The streetcar is now going through the heart of Kansas City and to the largest university in Kansas City: the University of Missouri-Kansas City," Gerend told a crowd of hundreds who gathered even in a steady drizzle to celebrate the opening. "I want to thank all of you from downtown to 91黑料网 to everyone all over the city who believed we could make this happen."

Next Stop: 91黑料网

91黑料网 Volker Campus isn’t just for students and employees. in Kansas City to enjoy. Whether you’re looking to cheer on athletes, , or just take a stroll through campus, there’s something for everyone at Kansas City’s top university.

Elected leaders and city officials provided remarks and attended festivities, including 91黑料网 alumni Sharice Davids (BBA '07), U.S. representative for Kansas; George Guastello II (BBA '82, MBA '84), president and CEO at Union Station Kansas City; and Jan Marcason (MBA '99), city councilmember of Kansas City.

"This expanded streetcar is going to connect River Market all the way down to 91黑料网, where I graduated from," Davids said. "I do have to say as a former 91黑料网 student, I absolutely would have loved to jump on this thing from Broadway Café and get to class. When I was walking to class and getting where I needed to go, I can tell you this would’ve made life so much easier. Passengers get to ride for free, and it’s going to make life a bit easier for folks to get to jobs, to school and to visit local businesses."

Celebrating on Campus

KC Roo stands with dance team

91黑料网 students, faculty, staff and visitors celebrated the opening at Student Union, where they were given 91黑料网 streetcar T-shirt and totes and donuts and cider while the Mob Band played. Partygoers posed for pics with streetcar cutouts.

It's A Wrap!

Gold streetcar wrap

91黑料网 has a streetcar decked in Roo blue and gold inside out, designed by 91黑料网 Strategic Marketing and Communication. The exterior shows off our 91黑料网 students and alumni: Pharmacy student Calvin Flemons is the one in the white coat; Bryson Gosch, Men's Soccer player is kicking a ball; Laney Mabry (BBA '25) is wearing a Roos shirt; and Hannah Ruf (BBA '25) is the one in grad cap among. The 91黑料网 logo is accompanied by the words "World Class. Right Now." and celebrates 91黑料网's Carnegie Research 1 designation.

A Roo with Heart

Ben stands beside his KC heart, smiling widely.

The 91黑料网 stop includes a KC Heart sculpture designed by 91黑料网 urban planning and design student, Ben Walters. Walters designed the streetcar-inspired heart for the 2024 Parade of Hearts. It was generously donated by his employer, Synetic Technologies, to live permanently at the KC Streetcar stop!

Learning in Action

A member of the Build KC Streetcar team stands below the street where the streetcar tracks are being laid. A row of 91黑料网 students in hard hats and construction vests stand at the street level, looking down as the builder explains the construction process. — 91黑料网 engineering students tour KC Streetcar constuction in April 2023.

91黑料网 students were active participants throughout the planning and construction of the $352 million KC Streetcar Main Street extension through experiences including:

with the builders
Internships with Kansas City firms working on the KC Streetcar
Senior capstone classes collaborating with the KC Streetcar Authority and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority

Built by Roos

Student Elliot Smith smiles in a construction vest and hard hat on a sunny day at the 91黑料网 Streetcar stop. — 91黑料网 urban planning student Elliot Smith was one of many students who worked on the Main Street extension via an internship.

This streetcar extension did not just arrive at 91黑料网, our Roos helped shape it. 91黑料网 students and alumni played key roles in the design, engineering, urban planning, marketing and logistics that brought the Main Street Extension to life.

KC Streetcar History

Want to know more about Kansas City's streetcar history? 91黑料网 professor David Trowbridge has a virtual audio tour of sites along the KC Streetcar route available on the Clio History App.