Feds award $174.1 million for extension of Kansas City streetcar | MO State News | lincolnnewsnow.com

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded a $174.1 million grant to extend a streetcar line in Kansas City.

The $351 million Kansas City Streetcar Main Street Extension Project will add 3.5 miles of track to the 2.2-mile-long line that began service in May 2016. The remaining funding comes from the Main Street Rail Transportation Development District (TDD), which voters approved in 2018.

Link: 

Feds award $174.1 million for extension of Kansas City streetcar | MO State News | lincolnnewsnow.com

MoBikeFed comment: With this extension the streetcar will run from the River Market to the University of Missouri-Kansas City, through the heart of the most populated area of Kansas City, Missouri.

KC's streetcar has been enormously successful and built a large ridership since its opening in 2016.

Note that the streetcar tracks are extremely dangerous for bicyclists--the tracks are just the size and shape of a typical bicycle wheel, aligned parallel to the bicyclist's line of travel, and on this line, most often located in the area of the street where bicyclists normally travel.

Streetcar track safety summary for bicyclists:

- Choose other routes if you can.

- Always cross the tracks at a 90 degree angle; never less than a 75-80 degree angle; never cross tracks that are running parallel to your direction of travel.

- If you don't have room to turn to get the proper angle to cross the tracks, you will have to stop and lift your bicycle over the tracks. Yes, the tracks are that dangerous.

- The slots in these tracks are deep enough to grab either your front OR your rear wheel and cause you to have a serious fall.

- This applies to recently installed streetcar/trolley tracks in both Kansas City and St Louis.

More info: https://mobikefed.org/2016/01/are-streetcar-tracks-dangerous-bicycles-po...