KCRag Forum

Those events aren't driving much streetcar ridership. Just a nice spring day.

There are some very experienced streetcar riders in town this weekend from Oregon - are they showing up on the streetcar? I love having the regional tournament in KC but KU fans don't really do much for the local economy. Most of them already live here.

Highlander wrote:There are some very experienced streetcar riders in town this weekend from Oregon - are they showing up on the streetcar? I love having the regional tournament in KC but KU fans don't really do much for the local economy. Most of them already live here.

i don't know if you mean the "elite eight" (not into sportsball), but here's a recent stat: https://twitter.com/kcstreetcar/status/ ... 7612753924

I noticed during the rain storm yesterday the streetcars were still pretty busy. And makes a big difference it's free to ride so would imagine attracts any visitors moreso than other streetcar systems.

In my talking with tourists for basketball and in general my new phrase is "you can take the FREE streetcar"....every one of them has said "oh it's free?"

Convention and event planners maybe need to do a better job emphasizing the streetcar is free to use. Being free essentially psychologically collapses the distance of say a hotel over a mile away from event than if it cost a buck or two to ride every time.

earthling wrote:Convention and event planners maybe need to do a better job emphasizing the streetcar is free to use. Being free essentially psychologically collapses the distance of say a hotel over a mile away from event than if it cost a buck or two to ride every time.

There are a LOT of people that will stay further out if it's cheap and easy to get where they want to go.

DaveKCMO wrote:

Highlander wrote:There are some very experienced streetcar riders in town this weekend from Oregon - are they showing up on the streetcar? I love having the regional tournament in KC but KU fans don't really do much for the local economy. Most of them already live here.

i don't know if you mean the "elite eight" (not into sportsball), but here's a recent stat: https://twitter.com/kcstreetcar/status/ ... 7612753924

Yes - the regional final of the NCAA tournament. I suspect a lot of money was spent by celebrating Oregon fans in KC.

flyingember wrote:

earthling wrote:Convention and event planners maybe need to do a better job emphasizing the streetcar is free to use. Being free essentially psychologically collapses the distance of say a hotel over a mile away from event than if it cost a buck or two to ride every time.

There are a LOT of people that will stay further out if it's cheap and easy to get where they want to go.

Yeah and looking at KC Convention site, buried on Getting Around it does mention KC Streetcar is free but not really emphasized. Would hope that hotel concierge/desks also emphasize streetcar is free to ride. Being free sort of creates a bent space wormhole access to anything with 2-3 blocks of the line. Event planners need to emphasize that given there aren't a significant # of rooms (yet) in the CBD, they are pretty dispersed.

Making MAX line to Plaza free until getting streetcar expanded could really open doors to tie together RiverCrownPlaza stretch as highly accessible, important to event planners as you get all those hotel rooms sort of seamlessly connected to event spaces as well along stretch. There would be countless benefits to making MAX free between downtown/Plaza until streetcar expands.

https://kcconvention.com/downtown-kc/getting-around/

Yeah, that's a downside to KU's loss: their fans were probably less likely to stay downtown after the game, especially if they often visit downtown anyway. I'm not sure how many Oregon fans were downtown, but there's probably a good chance KC's suburbs had more Oregon fans than those that were downtown.

Still, even if it's a small number of people, I rather have those people downtown, using the street car and utilizing downtown businesses, than not have those people at all.

Is disappointing that Sprint Center site doesn't encourage or even reference using transit at all...
http://www.sprintcenter.com/plan_your_v ... ns_parking

Businesses along the line need to get in that mindset, such as in their Pitch/Ink ads. IE, many bars/restaurants/retail ads in highly urbane cities will mention next to address the nearest transit stop and direction to walk. It's time for downtown biz to start thinking in that mode. It also helps reduce dependency on parking and tells hotel guests the biz is easily accessible from free streetcar and how. Anyone a member of DNA or other orgs might suggest that to biz that are members and start the trend.

AllThingsKC wrote:Yeah, that's a downside to KU's loss: their fans were probably less likely to stay downtown after the game, especially if they often visit downtown anyway. I'm not sure how many Oregon fans were downtown, but there's probably a good chance KC's suburbs had more Oregon fans than those that were downtown.

Still, even if it's a small number of people, I rather have those people downtown, using the street car and utilizing downtown businesses, than not have those people at all.

I walked through as the game got out and there were lines to get into all of the bars facing the sprint center, and covered area looked pretty crowded. I think Power and Light did fine.

In my talking with tourists for basketball and in general my new phrase is "you can take the FREE streetcar"....every one of them has said "oh it's free?"

Yep. As I noted in another post, the fact that the line is free is unprecedented, and has elicited an overwhelmingly positive response from everyone that I've told. Literally not a single suburbanite that I have discussed KC streetcar with has known that it is free prior to riding.

AllThingsKC wrote:Yeah, that's a downside to KU's loss: their fans were probably less likely to stay downtown after the game, especially if they often visit downtown anyway. I'm not sure how many Oregon fans were downtown, but there's probably a good chance KC's suburbs had more Oregon fans than those that were downtown.

Still, even if it's a small number of people, I rather have those people downtown, using the street car and utilizing downtown businesses, than not have those people at all.

I'd expect more Oregon fans to fly in and be concentrated in DT. I wonder how many came? KU fans are really concentrated in the KC area so they are going to spend money DT regardless. I actually know a lot of KU fans in the burbs that go downtown regularly now. I am generally pretty pro Big-12 because it behooves KC when the conference does well but this is one time where I think KC would have benefited from KU going elsewhere. With downtown on the resurgence, you want to expose the city to as many new faces as possible - I checked out Oregon basketball forums to see if there were any thought on KC but did not find any.

The streetcar got a positive shout-out in the American Contract Bridge League national glossy magazine in March, Bridge Bulletin. (Our semiannual national bridge tournament was held in March in Kansas City at the Crown Center hotels.)

"The Sheraton Kansas City and Westin Kansas City are connected by an elevated pedestrian walkway. The 880-foot 'Link' provides covered, lighted access between the hotels and the shops inside Crown Center.

"Another link connects the Westin and Union Station, where [bridge] players may hop aboard the free streetcar that traverses downtown. Streetcars run every 10 minutes during peak weekday periods. During the remainder of the week, streetcars run every 12 to 18 minutes."

^All important 'free' word used.

Just wanted to share some comments about the KCMO streetcar system from a Facebook topic about the Trump attempts to cut back on transportation grants to local governments.
"It was a waste of $104,000,000 anyway."
"If it can't survive without grants from the Feds it shouldn't have been built in the first place."
"I'm pretty sure there has never been any form of public transportation that has been self-supporting."
"It has been a joke since it's inception..."
"Gee, maybe they'll actually have to start CHARGING for rides? And if they do that, somehow, I don't think all the passengers will be gushing over how wonderful it is."

BTWI share not because I agree with the comments.

Facebook is a cesspool of ranting morons.

JBmidtown wrote:Facebook is a cesspool of ranting morons.

Tell us what you really think

aknowledgeableperson wrote:Just wanted to share some comments about the KCMO streetcar system from a Facebook topic about the Trump attempts to cut back on transportation grants to local governments.
"It was a waste of $104,000,000 anyway."
"If it can't survive without grants from the Feds it shouldn't have been built in the first place."
"I'm pretty sure there has never been any form of public transportation that has been self-supporting."
"It has been a joke since it's inception..."
"Gee, maybe they'll actually have to start CHARGING for rides? And if they do that, somehow, I don't think all the passengers will be gushing over how wonderful it is."

BTWI share not because I agree with the comments.

Those were all the comments right AKP....all negative.