Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City residents who depend on the streetcar to travel through downtown will need to make some changes to their usual routines next week. A five-day maintenance project will temporarily replace streetcars with buses along the northern portion of the route, affecting travel between the Riverfront and Union Station.
The disruption will also bring traffic restrictions to the City Market area, where crews are preparing to repair a section of track. While the work is temporary, passengers should pay attention to several important changes before heading downtown.
The KC Streetcar announced that the service adjustment will take place from Monday, October 12, Â through Friday, October 16, 2026. The project is part of the system’s ongoing capital maintenance program, which focuses on keeping streetcar operations safe, reliable, and efficient.
Crews will repair the track slab along 5th Street between Delaware and Walnut streets. Preparations will begin Sunday evening, October 11, after full streetcar service concludes early at 10 p.m.
Starting at 5 a.m. Monday, passengers traveling between the Riverfront and Union Station will use temporary replacement buses known as “Streetcar Link.” These buses will operate along the affected downtown portion of the route while repairs are underway.
Not all streetcar operations will be interrupted.
Service between Union Station and the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) will continue normally, with streetcars arriving at their regular 10-minute frequency.
However, passengers traveling beyond Union Station in either direction will need to transfer between Streetcar Link buses and streetcars to complete their journeys.
The replacement buses will be free to ride and will serve designated streetcar stops, with one notable exception. The City Market stop at 5th Street and Walnut Street will remain temporarily closed during the project.
There is another important boarding change. At the River Market stops near 3rd Street and Grand Boulevard, passengers must board replacement buses from the curb rather than the existing streetcar platforms.
Motorists should also prepare for temporary restrictions along 5th Street.
The section between Delaware and Walnut streets will close completely to traffic from 10 p.m. Sunday, October 11, until 7 a.m. Monday, October 12.
From October 12 through October 16, westbound one-way traffic will be permitted along that section between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Overnight, from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m., the same stretch will be closed to all through traffic.
KC Streetcar officials thanked the public for its patience as the system undergoes maintenance intended to support dependable operations.
Passengers and drivers looking for additional information about the repairs, replacement buses, and temporary service arrangements can visit the official KC Streetcar track work information page.
