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MEDIA ALERT
Contact: Donna Mandelbaum | dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org | 816.877.3219
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IT'S OFFICIAL: THE FTA SIGNS THE FEDERAL GRANT AGREEMENT FOR THE KC STREETCAR MAIN STREET EXTENSION
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(KansasCity, Missouri) - On Friday, January 8, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the City of Kansas City, Mo., officially signed the Full Federal Funding Agreement (FFGA) for the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension at a brief ceremony at the KC Streetcar Singleton Yard.
The milestone event was held on January 8 at 11a.m. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the event was closed to the public, but those interested in participating tuned in virtually on the KC Streetcar’s official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kcstreetcar).
 The FFGA signing event featured FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and City Manager Brian Platt, local elected officials, members of the KC Streetcar Authority Board of Directors, the KC Area Transportation Authority, the City of Kansas City, MO, project partners, and more.
“FTA is proud to support the expansion of the Kansas City Streetcar, which will link riders with jobs and educational opportunities at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, along with access to community services along the line,” said FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams. “The project reflects our partnership with Kansas City to improve transit service and support economic development.”
Click here to view an official message from FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams regarding the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension.
“Investing in public transportation is investing in mobility and opportunity for Kansas Citians while creating thousands of good-paying jobs along the way,” said Mayor Lucas. “This week’s grant signing ceremony is a wonderful way to start the new year in Kansas City and serves as an exciting signal that the Streetcar expansion project is in full motion. I will continue advocating—on a local, state, and federal level—for our community’s transportation and infrastructure priorities,” Lucas continued.
“The significance of today’s grant signing is monumental,” said Tom Gerend, Executive Director of the Kansas City Streetcar Authority. “This grant award marks a once-in-a-generation milestone for our region that will nearly triple the size of our current system and catalyze economic growth and investment along the route for years to come,” continued Gerend.
“The millions of dollars in new private investment that is happening along the route shows that this project is already attracting economic development while improving multi-modal transit. This economic development will give us the density and tax base to help us improve delivery of basic services,” said City Manager Brian Platt.
“Even amidst the challenges of the pandemic, public transit in Kansas City keeps pushing forward to deliver innovative mobility options throughout the region,” said Robbie Makinen, KCATA president and CEO.
 The FFGA will provide the full $174,059,270 in Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program funds for the design and construction of the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension Project. The CIG program funds transit capital investments including heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, streetcars and bus rapid transit systems. The KC Streetcar Main Street Extension is estimated to cost $351 million. The $174 million in federal funding represents half of the amount of funding needed to build the project. The other half comes from a new local funding source approved by voters in 2018 with the establishment of the Main Street Rail Transportation Development District (TDD).
The project’s recent progress is the result of years of work from the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension project partnership, which includes the KC Streetcar Authority, the City of Kansas City, Mo., and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.
The current schedule estimates KC Streetcar construction beginning in late 2021 or early 2022, and the opening of the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension system by 2025. Project information, including proposed streetcar stop locations, track alignment, and renderings of streetcars traveling through midtown, may be found on the KC Streetcar website, www.kcstreetcar.org/mainstreet-extension.
For KC Streetcar media inquiries, please contact Donna Mandelbaum with the KC Streetcar Authority at 816.877.3219 (cell) or email at dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org. The KC Streetcar is online at www.kcstreetcar.org and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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