Just a little over six months ago, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at UMKC in which the extension of the Kansas City Streetcar line was announced. Currently, the streetcar provides free and accessible transportation along a 2-mile route from Union Station to the River Market district, with stops throughout the Crossroads Art District, Power and Light District and Central Business District in Downtown Kansas City. The new project will extend the route from Union Station to the corner of 51^st St. and Brookside Blvd., right on the outskirts of Rockhurst’s campus.

This new expansion project will take the streetcar from the 51^st St. stop through proposed stations at the Country Club Plaza, Nelson Atkins Museum, Southmoreland, Westport, Armour, Union Hill and the World War I Memorial, before connecting with the current track at Union Station.

The Streetcar’s Riverfront Extension project will also allow for the track to be extended from the River Market district to the Berkeley Riverfront.

According to RideKC’s streetcar’s website, both expansion projects should be completed and operating with passengers by 2025, giving Rockhurst students access to free transportation from campus throughout the entirety of the Plaza, Westport, and downtown Kansas City.

The roughly $350 million project will also come complete with improvements to the intersections and sidewalks of the area, as well as parking spots along the streetcar route, giving pedestrians easier access to the streetcar line.

While the project is an exciting look into the future of Kansas City, it will not be complete until after multiple years of construction have finished on Main Street. The orange cones lining Main St. have become a familiar sight for those living in the area, one that doesn’t promise to end any time soon. While the construction may cause frustrations for Kansas Citians, the promising future of the Streetcar is one that many can get behind.