Kansas City Tram

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tram
Kansas City Tram
image
Car 803 leaves Union Station heading north
Basic information
Country Missouri , United States
city Kansas City
opening May 6, 2016
electrification since opening
operator Kansas City Streetcar autority
Transport network RideKC
Infrastructure
Route length 3.6 km
Track length 6.1 km
Gauge 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system 750 V overhead line
Operating mode Bidirectional operation
Depots 1
business
Lines 1
Line length 6.1 km
Clock in the peak hours 10-15 min
vehicles 4 CAF Urbos 3
statistics
Passengers 2,060,327 per year
Kansas City Tram
BSicon .svgBSicon .svgBSicon uexSTR.svg
Route to Berkley Riverfront (planned)
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Singleton Yard depot
BSicon uSTR + l.svgBSicon uBHF (R) gq.svgBSicon uABZg + r.svg
River Market North 3rd & Grand
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River Market West 4th & Delaware
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City Market 5th & Walnut
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I-35 / I-70
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North Loop 7th & Main
   
Library 9th & Main
   
Metro Center 12th & Main
   
Power & Light 14th & Main
   
I-670
   
Kauffman Center 16th & Main
   
Crossroads 19th & Main
   
Kansas City Terminal Railway
   
Union Station Pershing & Main
   
Expansion in planning
   
27th & Main
   
Linwood Blvd (32nd) & Main
   
Armor Blvd (35th) & Main
   
39th & Main
   
43rd & Main
   
45th & Main
   
Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd (47th) & Main
   
51st & Main

The Kansas City Tram , officially known as the RideKC Streetcar , is a tram system in downtown Kansas City, Missouri , United States . Construction began in May 2014, and on May 6, 2016, the only line to date went into operation. Since the tram is financed by a special-purpose district , similar to a German special-purpose association , transportation is free. A total of 2,228,942 passengers were carried in 2019 (an increase of 5.5% compared to the previous year), which corresponds to a daily average of 6,107 passengers. Since opening, more than 7.8 million passengers have been counted.

history

At one point there were 25 tram lines in Kansas City.
Until 1908 the vehicles were powered by underground ropes.

Former network

From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Kansas City, like most other American cities, operated streetcars.

In 1870, the first horse trams were set up in Kansas City. On some early routes, the trams were powered by underground ropes, such as the San Francisco cable cars.

The first concession was awarded to Thomas Corrigan and his Metropolitan Street Railway Company . William Rockhill Nelson , editor of the Kansas City Star , believed Corrigan was corrupt and used his newspaper to run a campaign against extending the concession.

By 1908, with one exception, all tram routes were electrified.

When the Kansas City Public Service Company (KSPS) was founded in 1925 , there were over 700 private company trams that became part of the KSPS. The lines operated by the KSPS led to neighboring Kansas City (Kansas) .

The KSPS planned to replace all older trams with new, modern PCC cars , which would have required 371 of these vehicles. Only 24 were delivered before World War II , which delayed the construction of new trams. In the end, KSPS acquired 184 PCC vehicles.

The Kansas City tram network was once one of the largest in North America. In 1957 the last of the former 25 lines was closed. This continued the American trend of replacing trams with buses.

New plans from 2012

After earlier efforts to develop a regional rail system failed, voters in downtown Kansas City agreed to fund a streetcar line in December 2012.

In December 2012, the city council gave HDR Inc. the order to create a final design for the inner-city tram line. HDR had already provided preliminary work beforehand. In October 2013, the mayor announced that the route would be operated with Urbos 3 trams from the American subsidiary of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). Preparatory work began at the end of 2013, so that construction of the line could begin in May 2014. The route was completed at the end of 2015, and test drives were then carried out until May 2016.

The cost of the project was estimated at $ 102 million. The bulk of the funding, $ 64 million, came from Kansas City bonds. Construction and operating costs were covered by development contributions and a separate 1-cent sales tax. These taxes are only payable in the districts along the route. Additional funds included a pension contribution and two government grants totaling $ 17.1 million. In August 2013, the project received another federal grant of $ 20 million as part of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery ( TIGER) program . The journey is free for the passengers, as the costs are covered by the contributions and taxes. Construction costs were $ 250,000 below budget, and operating costs were also below budget at launch.

The numbering of the cars (801-804) continues the numbering of the former Kansas City Public Service Company from over 50 years ago. The first car was delivered on November 2, 2015, and test drives began on November 6. The remaining cars were delivered between December 2015 and April 2016. The tram started operating on May 6, 2016 at around 11 a.m. On the day of the opening and the following Saturday, over 27,000 passengers took the train. The opening was celebrated with various festivities.

Due to the high passenger numbers, two additional trams were ordered for $ 12 million in June 2017. These should be delivered in 2018.

route

Car 804 on Main Street

The 3.5 km long route, mainly following Main Street , leads from the River Market through the Central Business District and the Crossroads district to Union Station. There are 10 stops along the route, approximately two blocks apart.

Real-time passenger information is available at all stations and boarding at the same level is possible, which makes transportation barrier-free .

operator

The tram is operated by the Kansas City Streetcar autority , a not-for-profit company that is funded by taxes. The agency was formed in August 2012 after voters approved the establishment of the Kansas City Downtown Transportation Development District , a special tax district to finance the construction and operation of the 3.5 km stretch. Lawsuits against the district and its tax authority were dismissed in August 2013. Construction work began in May 2014 and was completed in autumn 2015. Operations began on May 6, 2016.

The 13 directors of the Streetcar autority, government representatives and business people, were appointed by the city council and the port administration at the end of 2012 and met for the first time in early 2013 as an officially recognized body. The agency controls the operation and maintenance of the system based on the model of the Portland tram . The city council remains the owner of the system and can appoint part of the directors.

The ongoing operation and maintenance of the system is carried out by Herzog Transit Services Inc. on behalf of the Streetcar Autority and the City of Kansas City. The contract was signed in October 2015.

future

Plans to expand the network began in 2014. Two studies examined an extension to the north, crossing the Missouri River , and eight possible routes to the east, west and south. A vote in August 2014 to build three new routes and improve a bus route failed. In August 2017, the citizens agreed to another tax district to finance an extension to the south. This 6 km extension is to follow the course of Main Street to the University of Missouri-Kansas City . It is expected to cost around $ 227 million and open in 2023.

In August 2017, the KC Port autority announced plans for a northern extension of the streetcar to the Missouri River. This 1.2 km stretch, funded by the KC Port Authority and the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery ( TIGER) program, would lead to Berkley Riverfront Park. The connection could be opened in 2020-2021. It will cost $ 32 million to build, plus a new vehicle will have to be purchased.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Lynn Horsley: After years of planning, setbacks, hard work, KC celebrates streetcar grand opening. In: The Kansas City Star . May 6, 2016, Retrieved May 7, 2016 .
  2. KC Streetcar Brand Revealed. In: KC Streetcar. KC Streetcar, August 28, 2014, accessed November 29, 2015 .
  3. Lynn Horsley: KC breaks ground for streetcars - and OKs advance spending on expansion. In: Kansas City Star . May 22, 2014, accessed July 6, 2014 .
  4. FAQS - KC Streetcar | Cost - Pet Information - Speed ​​- Streetcar Stops. Retrieved December 8, 2017 .
  5. ^ KC Streetcar Ridership, Satisfaction on the Rise. Retrieved January 28, 2020 .
  6. a b c Post Office. Kansas City Public Library , June 1, 1979, archived from the original on December 25, 2013 ; Retrieved on December 25, 2013 : “Some of the lines were once horse car lines, some cable lines and some electric. All are electric in 1908 except a portion of the 12th Street lines, between Washington Street and the stockyards. (There) the cable line is used pending the construction of some kind of a trafficway between the higher and lower levels of the city. "
  7. ^ Lynn Horsley: Kansas City's streetcar glory days hold lessons for today. Kansas City Star , November 22, 2013; Archived from the original on December 24, 2013 ; Retrieved December 24, 2013 : "As Kansas City lays its first streetcar rail in 66 years, it is unleashing a wave of nostalgia for the days when the city had one of the nation's most extensive streetcar systems."
  8. Edward A. Conrad: Kansas City Street Cars: From Hayburners to Streamliners . Editor: HeartlandRails Publishing Company. 2011 ( google.com [accessed December 28, 2013]): "When it came to rail-based mass transit, Kansas City had it all. From the first horse car to the last streetcar, the KC transit scene was replete with every type of public transit during its 88 years of existence. "
  9. ^ A b Monroe Dodd: A Splendid Ride: The Streetcars of Kansas City, 1870-1957. Kansas City Star Books, January 1, 2002, accessed December 25, 2013 .
  10. Jason Roe: Wrong way Corrigan. Kansas City Public Library , archived from the original on December 25, 2013 ; Retrieved December 25, 2013 : “On March 31, 1882, The Kansas City Star declared its opposition to the streetcar monopoly then held by Thomas Corrigan. Although William Rockhill Nelson, owner of The Star, generally preferred that the paper remain neutral in politics, he made exceptions for cases where he believed rampant corruption demanded public awareness. "
  11. a b Historic streetcars in San Francisco: Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas. Market Street Railway , 2010, archived from the original on April 12, 2010 ; Retrieved December 25, 2013 : "Kansas City's PCCs - 184 in all - were painted to emphasize their modern lines, with a black 'swoosh' on the sides to highlight the logo of the Kansas City Public Service Company (KCPS), which featured Frederic Remington's famed sculpture "The Scout" on a red heart. "
  12. ^ Austin Alonzo: Kansas City voters approve streetcar plan. In: Kansas City Business Journal . Bizjournals.com, December 12, 2012, accessed September 2, 2013 .
  13. ^ Austin Alonzo: Kansas City streetcar's first stop: Construction plans. In: Kansas City Business Journal . Bizjournals.com, December 21, 2012, accessed September 2, 2013 .
  14. ^ Austin Alonzo: Spanish firm CAF will supply streetcars. In: Kansas City Business Journal . Bizjournals.com, October 4, 2013, accessed October 6, 2013 .
  15. ^ Lynn Horsley: Kansas City streetcar costs are comparable to other cities. In: The Kansas City Star . July 2, 2015, accessed May 8, 2016 .
  16. Austin Alonzo: Kansas City streetcar seeks $ 20 million TIGER grant. In: Kansas City Business Journal . Bizjournals.com, May 22, 2013, accessed September 2, 2013 .
  17. ^ Austin Alonzo: Kansas City wins $ 20M federal TIGER grant for streetcar. In: Kansas City Business Journal . Bizjournals.com, August 30, 2013, accessed September 2, 2013 .
  18. ^ Gunnar Hand: Streetcar Renaissance. In: The Architect's Newspaper. Archpaper.com, January 15, 2013, accessed September 2, 2013 .
  19. FAQS - KC Streetcar | Cost - Pet Information - Speed ​​- Streetcar Stops. Retrieved August 17, 2016 .
  20. ^ Lynn Horsley: First KC streetcar vehicle rolls into town. In: The Kansas City Star . November 2, 2015, accessed November 16, 2015 .
  21. Lynn Horsley: Kansas City streetcar passes first test on downtown tracks. In: The Kansas City Star . November 6, 2015, accessed November 16, 2015 .
  22. Lynn Horsley: Kansas City streetcar director says new vehicles urgently needed. In: Kansas City Star. April 13, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017 .
  23. FAQS - KC Streetcar | Cost - Pet Information - Speed ​​- Streetcar Stops. Retrieved December 8, 2017 .
  24. How to Ride. KC Streetcar, accessed February 1, 2019 .
  25. Jonathan Bender: Kansas City Streetcar autority is up and running. In: The Pitch. Kansas City Pitch LLC, August 3, 2012, accessed March 27, 2014 .
  26. ^ Appeal from the Circuit Court of Jackson County The Honorable Peggy Stevens McGraw, Judge. The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District, August 7, 2013, accessed March 27, 2014 .
  27. ^ Kansas City is on the MOVE with the KC Streetcar. KC Streetcar, accessed March 18, 2016 .
  28. Austin Alonzo: Streetcar autority Mulls options in first official meeting. In: Kansas City Business Journal . Bizjournals.com, January 2, 2013, accessed September 2, 2013 .
  29. ^ DVV Media UK: Herzog Transit Services signs Kansas City Streetcar operating contract. In: Railway Gazette . October 9, 2015, accessed December 8, 2017 .
  30. ^ Lynn Horsley: Kansas City streetcar plan stopped in its tracks. In: The Kansas City Star . August 5, 2014, accessed February 1, 2019 .
  31. ^ Voters approve new taxing district for Kansas City streetcar expansion. In: kansascity. Retrieved December 8, 2017 .
  32. ^ Kansas City looks to expand streetcar service. In: kansascity. Retrieved December 8, 2017 .