KC Streetcar Authority announced last week that testing for the Main Street Extension has begun, a process expected to take several months.
The KC Streetcar Main Street Extension is a 3.5-miles expansion of the KC Streetcar System, linking the existing southern endpoint at Union Station to the UMKC Campus at 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard.
“Once we get into a more regular pattern of testing street cars on the line, we’ll have a good idea of when we can open it for passenger service,” said Donna Mandelbaum, director of communications and marketing for the KC Streetcar Authority.
Mandelbaum has been working on this project for 9 ½ years and said she loves feeling the excitement from the community about the upcoming expansions.

(Sydney Siemens)
“We expect to be a huge connector for UMKC faculty, students, and the community around there where they can hop on the streetcar and really explore the city and do it free in a safe and efficient way,” said Mandelbaum. “We look forward to having UMKC students on board. I think it makes perfect sense that we’re connecting to such a vibrant and large university.”
Many students on campus are eager for the opening of the streetcar, hoping it will open their bubble to new opportunities and ways to connect with friends.
“A lot of events happen in Power and Light, and it [the streetcar] would be really nice, especially for going over to games there and the T-Mobile Center,” said freshman business analytics major Jordan Rourke.
Driving downtown and finding parking can be a hassle, so having a free and easy way to commute will make a big difference for students and the community. Junior political science major Alejandro Hernadez said that the expansion will allow him to explore the different areas that KC has to offer.

“I want to go to River Market, I want to go to P&L, I want to go to the Plaza, I want to go to Midtown, I want to go everywhere in Kansas City because it’s going to be amazing,” said Hernandez.
The KC Streetcar will expand even further with the opening of the riverfront extension, expected in early 2026, just in time for the World Cup’s arrival in Kansas City. This extension will create a continuous connection between UMKC to the riverfront.