Voters Say Yes to a KC Streetcar Extension on Main Street

See the full news release from KC Streetcar. 

Voters in the Main Street Rail Transportation Development District (TDD) overwhelmingly approved the local funding structure to support the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension. The final tally was roughly 75.6% yes on Question 1 (sales tax) and 74.7% yes on Question 2 (special assessments). Final results are available on the KC Election Board website, www.kceb.org. 

In August 2017, these same voters approved formation of the Kansas City Main Street Rail TDD with a 70% yes vote and in October 2017, elected the TDD Board of Directors. This recent election was the third in a series of local elections to seek local approval for a KC Streetcar Main Street Extension project.  

The Main Street Rail TDD is a separate entity from the Kansas City Streetcar Authority and the City of Kansas City, Missouri. This latest election allows the TDD Board of Directors to impose the TDD’s revenue sources, which will generate local funding to support the Main Street extension of the KC Streetcar.

The TDD’s revenue sources will not be collected until the extension is fully funded, either through Federal grants or other non-TDD sources and will replace and expand the existing downtown TDD used to support the starter-line’s construction and operations. The TDD boundary extends from the Missouri River on the north to 53rd Street on the south; State Line Road on the west to Campbell Street on the east.

The funding structure is similar to the current downtown TDD structure and includes a sales tax, a real estate assessment and a supplemental special assessment on surface pay parking lots.

“The completion of our local funding mechanism is a critical step necessary to advance this project for federal funding and bring the project to life,” said Tom Gerend, executive director with the Kansas City Streetcar Authority.  “This is one step in a long process but the strong support from the public is a great motivator for all of us and reinforces the importance of making this vision a reality,” continued Gerend.

The KC Streetcar project team, consisting of the KC Streetcar Authority (KCSA), the KC Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), the City of Kansas City, MO (KCMO), and the consultant team led by HDR, Inc., has continued to advance the project planning for the Main Street Extension to UMKC, including work to refine streetcar stop locations, track alignments, and coordinated transit connections. 

“It’s another significant milestone for regional transit,” said Robbie Makinen, KCATA President and CEO. “We will continue to work together to build a comprehensive public transit system that bundles all forms of mobility as a service to offer options and access (MaaS) to connect people to all that the Kansas City region has to offer.”