KCMO Downtown Streetcar

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earthling
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by earthling »

Would think number of downtown events make up most of the difference. And number of bad weather days per month relative to other years. More residents and hotels opening up otherwise should cause an average increase. And looking at annual average it does look to increase each year.

Sept is odd, maybe there happens to be fewer events each year that month.
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normalthings
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by normalthings »

ToDactivist wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:42 pm wonder why the only months you see YoY increases is (generally) the summer months? All others are either lower, flat or slightly up. Downtown population theoretically has increased...has worker pop also increased? Is everyone healthier by walking then or will the additional units help with the former lag times for increased ridership now?
I've personally started walking and biking instead of taking the Streetcar. I got fed up with the timeliness issues and now that there are more people in the area I am comfortable walking farther and at night. Walk times are always consistent and I can usually get to my destination in the time it would take to wait for the streetcar to come - especially if they are out of sync. A byproduct of increased mixed-use density is that people can go to work/meal/retail/entertainment without having to go that far down the road. One can walk or bike instead of driving or taking transit.
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by KCPowercat »

Many non summer months (Jan, March, may, October) are highest in 2019.

April is the only one that is really the outlier for 2019 growth patterns.
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by Riverite »

What are the anticipated growth numbers for once the extension is online. I could see it tripling if they can keep the time under 15 minutes. I took it sometimes when I was downtown, but I probably would’ve gotten rid of my car if it existed when I still went to Umkc
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by Riverite »

Like some people have pointed out, if it’s to far away it’s easy to walk, but that isn’t true when it goes four miles
earthling
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by earthling »

2019 average daily ridership up to Oct 2019 - 6,289
2018 average daily ridership up to Oct 2018 - 5,929
2017 average daily ridership up to Oct 2017 - 5,854
2016 didn't start until May
Significantly exceeds the initial projected ridership of 2,700

http://kcstreetcar.org/ridership/
earthling
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by earthling »

Riverite wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 1:08 am What are the anticipated growth numbers for once the extension is online. I could see it tripling if they can keep the time under 15 minutes.
They'll probably need to get rid of a few downtown stops too when the expansions occur. Very close together is OK for now given it's like a downtown circulator (a horizontal elevator within downtown districts) but with the expansions the line will become somewhere between local and commuter service. Will be a long ride to get between Plaza and River Market. Unless a MAX true express line is overlayed along or near the streetcar line.

I'd pursue a true express MAX line from Waldo to N Oak/Barry Rd with relatively few stops, mostly or partly overlayed with streetcar line.
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normalthings
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by normalthings »

earthling wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:41 am
Riverite wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 1:08 am What are the anticipated growth numbers for once the extension is online. I could see it tripling if they can keep the time under 15 minutes.
They'll probably need to get rid of a few downtown stops too when the expansions occur. Very close together is OK for now given it's like a downtown circulator (a horizontal elevator within downtown districts) but with the expansions the line will become somewhere between local and commuter service. Will be a long ride to get between Plaza and River Market. Unless a MAX true express line is overlayed along or near the streetcar line.

I'd pursue a true express MAX line from Waldo to N Oak/Barry Rd with relatively few stops, mostly or partly overlayed with streetcar line.
Kauffman Center and either Northloop or Library would appear to be the best to remove. Maybe one of the RM stops as well.
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by mean »

I can't get on board with removing the North Loop stop. It doesn't get a lot of traffic at the moment, but if and when that sea of parking gets developed it should, and having the stop there would seem to incentivize said development to some degree. So I say keep it.
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by earthling »

Yeah the Library stop is so close to Metro Center stop that long term it makes more sense to get rid of Library stop and keep N Loop, about right balance between RM and Metro Center.

However if free bus happens and a real free express bus occurs approximately along streetcar extension then may as well keep all streetcar stops.
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by earthling »

BTW, ever since submitting a comment to Streetcar Org about inefficiency of streetcar at Union Station waiting until car behind reaching US they've starting to now release the US car when the car behind is a couple stops back, at least more often. So when 3 are in service, 3 are actually moving more often at once rather than 2. That is allowing about a 12-15 minute wait worst case scenario rather than 18-20 minutes on avg.
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

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mean wrote: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:21 pm I can't get on board with removing the North Loop stop. It doesn't get a lot of traffic at the moment, but if and when that sea of parking gets developed it should, and having the stop there would seem to incentivize said development to some degree. So I say keep it.
Ditto. I actually use this stop more than any other due to the free weekend parking lots.

I also don't see Kauffman going away because it's too convenient to hotels.


If anything, I'd ditch either Library or Metro Center. Or combine them into a single stop between 10th & 11th.
mean
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by mean »

Tangential, but does it annoy anyone else that the Library stop is a lot closer to the Metro Center than the Metro Center stop?
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by smh »

mean wrote: Mon Nov 11, 2019 2:57 pm Tangential, but does it annoy anyone else that the Library stop is a lot closer to the Metro Center than the Metro Center stop?
I think that is because Metro Center really denotes City Center, but that name was not chosen because it sounded like favoritism of the nearby building...which has now been renamed. :lol:
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by KCPowercat »

And ridekc metro center is closing
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by DaveKCMO »

KCPowercat wrote: Wed Nov 13, 2019 11:40 am And ridekc metro center is closing
"Metro Center" was used at multiple locations under the "Metro" brand. While some signage remains, "Transit Center" is the new term.

https://ridekc.org/locations/type/transit-center

10th & Main Transit Center is relocating to 12th & Charlotte as the East Village Transit Center.

Note the new MAX stations near 12th & Main are not labeled Metro Center.

Streetcar might consider changing the station name. I'll inquire.
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by mean »

Well, there go my plans for a ska fusion band called Mighty Mighty Metrobus.
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by flyingember »

mean wrote: Fri Nov 15, 2019 10:42 am Well, there go my plans for a ska fusion band called Mighty Mighty Metrobus.
Radical Radical RideKC Route?
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normalthings
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by normalthings »

A long long time ago - maybe before the streetcar opened - Dave mentioned (in person I think) that the streetcar was being insured as a freight train running through city streets. Does anyone know if the insurance has been adjusted over the last few years as the system proves itself to be “safe”?
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Re: KCMO Downtown Streetcar

Post by DaveKCMO »

normalthings wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2019 12:49 pm A long long time ago - maybe before the streetcar opened - Dave mentioned (in person I think) that the streetcar was being insured as a freight train running through city streets. Does anyone know if the insurance has been adjusted over the last few years as the system proves itself to be “safe”?
It has not. We still have a railroad policy, but I believe it costs us less than originally quoted.
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