The KC Streetcar Adjusts Hours of Operation in Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

(Kansas City, Missouri) – In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the KC Streetcar will temporarily operate with reduced hours, ending service at 8:00 p.m. nightly.

Starting on Friday, March 20, the KC Streetcar will run from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The KC Streetcar will continue to operate three streetcars, seven days a week providing important access to grocery stores, critical employment centers, medical facilities, and pharmacy services.

This shift corresponds with recent changes in downtown activity levels and allows the KC Streetcar team additional time to clean all streetcar vehicles and stops as well as providing staff important time with their families.

“This schedule modification aligns our service levels appropriately while supporting Mayor Lucas’s Emergency Declaration related to the closure of restaurants, bars, and downtown activity centers,” said Tom Gerend, executive director, KC Streetcar Authority. “We are encouraging all streetcar riders to limit trips to those that are necessary and respect the social distancing guidelines put forward by the CDC,” continued Gerend.

The KC Streetcar is closely monitoring the situation and will follow instructions and recommendations issued by the City of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Health Department. KC Streetcar operations and services will be evaluated after two weeks to allow for any adjustments if needed. Any changes in service and operations will be communicated electronically through the KC Streetcar website (www.kcstreetcar.org/clean), social media channels and the RideKC Notify text alert system (text ‘streetcar’ to 816.685.8541).

As part of the daily maintenance routine, all KC Streetcars receive a mid-day cleaning and a thorough cleaning at the end of every day. The cleaning products the team uses are effective against numerous bacteria and viruses, including the Human Coronavirus and Influenza Type A Virus. Other proactive measures include installing hand sanitizer dispensers on every KC Streetcar vehicle, automatically opening all streetcar doors for riders, and equipping operators with gloves, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes and Lysol, which is sprayed on board every time a streetcar arrives at the Union Station streetcar stop.