MARC approves $17.7 million for Downtown streetcar

The City of Kansas City, Mo.’s mass transit future received a boost on Wednesday, Oct. 24 when the Mid-America Regional Council approved $17.7 million in federal funds for the City’s proposed starter streetcar project in Downtown.

The agency announced that its board had approved the funding as part of an $81.7 million package of federal funds it will allot to 77 projects throughout the region. The streetcar allotment is the largest single portion of the funds distributed.

The streetcar funding includes $16 million in Surface Transportation Program funds to buy vehicles and $1.1 million from the Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality funds to build streetcar stations.

The planned $100 million starter streetcar line will run from the River Market to Crown Center. Future proposed development may extend east, south, west and north of the starter line, to such places as North Kansas City, Southwest Boulevard, the Plaza, and 18th and Vine.

“It’s extremely encouraging to see this support from MARC,” said Second District Councilman Russ Johnson. “Although we still need to secure the remaining voter-approved funds, this shows the importance of this project at a regional level.”

Kansas City received more than $23 million in Surface Transportation Program and Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality funds from MARC. Those funds will be used on projects scheduled to start construction between 2013 and 2015.