Downtown Corridor Alternatives Analysis
what Could streetcar look like in KC? | ||
KC Streetcar 101: downtown streetcar public meetingsKansas City, Mo., is hosting three public meetings this month to provide an update on the downtown streetcar project and how construction work could impact business owners and residents. Each meeting will feature brief presentations at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. News release | Media kit
Kansas 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 Downtown Corridor Alternatives Analysis brought 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 identified 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 built on previous planning efforts, MARC's Smart Moves regional transit vision, and ongoing commuter-rail projects. The intent was to use the alternatives analysis results to secure funding for implementation and apply for future federal funds.
The study was completed in December 2011.
Study Area
The study area was 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 compared 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 2011 and was 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; Vireo (formerly Patti Banks Associates); HG Consult, Inc; Burns & McDonnell; and Architectural and Historical Research.