Downtown Corridor Alternatives Analysis
what Could streetcar look like in KC? | ||
latest newsKansas City, Mo., Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and MARC are advancing modern streetcar service on Main Street between River Market and Crown Center this as the community's "locally preferred alternative." The study team has established a work group of stakeholders to pursue federal funds and low-interest financing. Planners expect to submit the project to the Federal Transit Administration later this year to request federal funding support. Kansas City Council members have proposed the formation of a transportation development district in downtown to help pay for much of the proposed Main Street streetcar project. The downtown streetcar project is ready to move into advanced conceptual engineering, funded primarily by Kansas City, Mo. The target for opening the streetcar service is April 2015. |
The Downtown Corridor Alternatives Analysis will bring Kansas City closer to realizing a potential starter line for an expanded future regional public transportation system. Funded largely by a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant, the study will identify the locally preferred alternative for a downtown transit distributer, and a viable plan to fund the construction, operation and maintenance of the line.
The alternatives analysis will build on previous planning efforts, MARC's Smart Moves regional transit vision, and ongoing commuter-rail projects. The intent is to use the alternatives analysis results to secure funding for implementation and potentially apply for future federal funds.
Study Area
The study area is a narrow two-mile corridor in downtown Kansas City, Mo., running from the River Market on the north, through the Central Business District and the Crossroads areas to Union Station and Crown Center on the south.
History
In 2004 and 2009, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and Kansas City, Mo., examined the feasibility of a downtown streetcar that could connect the River Market, Central Business District and Crown Center areas. An alternatives analysis of fixed-guideway transit between the River Market, the Central Business District and Crown Center was also conducted in 2008.
Building on past study efforts in this corridor and case studies from other communities, the downtown corridor represents the best opportunity for developing a successful starter-line which could be a critical building block for more extensive regional transit system improvements.
Timeline
The analysis will compare modern streetcars, expanded bus service and a no-build alternative (only improvements to maintain existing service), leading to the identification of a locally preferred alternative. It will include the type of transit the community wants in the corridor, the route it should follow, and favored financial strategies to support construction and operations. The study began in April and should be completed by the end of 2011.
- April–June:
- Purpose and need
- Project goals and objectives
- Identification of alternatives
- July–September:
- Detailed alternatives assessment resulting in locally preferred alternative
- Financial assessment
- October–November:
- Draft report
Partners and Consultants
The study team is made up of representatives from Kansas City, Mo.; Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, the Mid-America Regional Council and Jackson County, Mo.
The consultant team for the Downtown Corridor Alternatives Analysis is led by HDR, and supported by Nelson/Nygaard; Polsinelli Shughart; Patti Banks Associates; HG Consult, Inc; Burns & McDonnell; and Architectural and Historical Research.