KCATA, KC Streetcar Constructors Thanking Bus Riders

After a year of construction near one of Kansas City’s busiest transit stops, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) and the Kansas City Streetcar Constructors want to express gratitude to a patient public.

On Oct. 1, representatives from the KCATA and the Streetcar Constructors will greet the general public at the 10th & Main Transit Center to thank the public for sticking with us during the streetcar construction.

They will distribute light refreshments, water bottles, and KCATA swag from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. as a way of thanking everyone affected by the work at 10th & Main, a key transit hub where 19 Metro routes and eight Johnson County routes converge every weekday.

A short program scheduled for noon will include remarks from KCATA President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Reardon, Tom Gerend, executive director of the Kansas City Streetcar Authority and Jon Copaken, chairman of the Downtown Council Board of Directors.

Construction of the two-mile downtown streetcar route -- running primarily on Main Street between the River Market and Union Station -- started in May 2014. Work near the 10th & Main intersection started in June 2014 and ended earlier this year. The work required bus service to be rerouted at times and limited access to the transit center.

Work near 10th & Main included track installation, utility line relocation and water and sewer upgrades. Construction on the streetcar route is expected to be substantially complete by the end of October. The downtown streetcar is scheduled to start operating next year.