Downtown Streetcar Starterline: Station + Streetcape Design

Downtown Streetcar Starterline: Station + Streetcape Design

Kansas City, Missouri

Confluence led the urban design efforts to integrate new streetcar stations and infrastructure into the existing streetscape context as part of this transformative economic development project.

Our team facilitated robust public engagement efforts to invite community input into the design of the streetcar stations and features, which included an integrated seat wall barrier that transitions the new raised level-boarding platforms into existing sidewalk grades. This approximately 2-mile project includes 14 platform stations serving three unique districts within the Downtown area: the Historic River Market District; the Central Business District; and the Crossroads District. Each of these districts has their own unique streetscape appearance.

We utilized a “chameleon” approach to aesthetically integrate new OCS poles into each of these Districts while minimizing pole clutter through extensive co-location and utility coordination efforts. This is one of the most successful streetcar implementation projects in the country, and supports a thriving urban environment that has already attracted over $2 billion of related new economic development activity since its inception. The system is now being planned for expansion to serve the UMKC/Plaza and Riverfront areas.