The Kansas City Streetcar Authority recently completed its first test run of a streetcar on its new route to UMKC.

In the five years since the project was approved, UMKC students and alumni have played key roles in paving the way for the KC Streetcar Main Street Extension to be ready to ride later this year.

Kansas City Streetcar Authority

Urban Planning and Economics student Elliott Smith was a planning and operations intern at the Kansas City Streetcar Authority in 2024. His internship covered a lot of ground, including analyses on ridership and reports on the impacts of special events like KC Current games.

Smith also mapped land use and opportunity zones along the Main Street Corridor to create a development tracking and conditions analysis report. The project was shared with the Urban Land Institute of Kansas City and major corridor developers to help identify issues regarding large-scale development around the Main Street extension area.

“I loved learning about transit operations and project development, especially in the buildup to the Main Street Extension to UMKC,” Smith said. “The internship was a great experience and really lined up with my degree programs. I'm so excited to be able to ride the streetcar from downtown to UMKC!”

TREKK Design Group

TREKK Design Group, cofounded by alumni Kimberly (B.S.E.E. ’95) and Trent (B.S.C.E. ’95) Robinett, was responsible for the design survey data collection and performed construction staking on the contractor's behalf for the Main Street KC Streetcar Extension. 

The Robinetts are excited about the significance the project will have on the community.

“This project allows us to live out our purpose of improving lives in the heart of our hometown, Kansas City,” Trent said. “Being able to help deliver a project that our friends, family and neighbors will get to use is an amazing feeling.”

The Robinetts also believe this project will be a great opportunity for UMKC.

“The streetcar is going to connect campus to the community,” Kimberly said. “It will improve the university's ability to recruit students by providing more housing opportunities, transportation options and access to new areas. We view UMKC as Kansas City's university and now future students will be better connected to Kansas City.”

This is not the first major Kansas City project the UMKC alumni firm has worked on. TREKK also designed critical systems for the new Kansas City International airport terminal.

HDR

Iain Blair (B.S.C.E. '23) works at engineering firm HDR as a transportation planner while also attending classes at UMKC to earn his graduate degree in civil engineering.

Blair worked on the Envision documentation, a sustainability certification similar to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), specifically with the "Ecology and Quality of Life" and the "Resource Allocation and Leadership" sections.

“As a Kansas Citian, I'm proud to see us make such important investments in the public transportation system,” Blair said. “The Main Street extension is going to be transformative for the future of the city. Empty lots will be developed. New buildings, services and housing opportunities are going to begin to appear along the corridor, just because of the investments that we made in our transportation system.”

Blair credits his undergraduate experience at UMKC, where he pursued a civil engineering degree with a minor in environmental sustainability, to his success at HDR.

“Being a public research university means that, in my opinion, UMKC (like our streetcar system) punches above its weight in terms of quality of education for the price,” Blair said. “When someone at HDR has questions about sustainable concrete and asphalt, I am one of a handful of people whose name gets thrown around to answer their questions. I was just given the right knowledge by the right professors at UMKC and HDR has given me the opportunity to take that extensive technical and theoretical knowledge and apply it.”

Kissick Construction

Led by alum Pete Browne (attended), Kissick Construction was responsible for the underground utility construction on the Main Street extension. This includes relocating and installing new water mains and service lines, fire hydrants, sanitary sewer mains, storm sewer mains and catch basins along the route.

Kissick Construction was also hired on as subcontractor and provided additional utility and concrete work on the track phase of the project.

“I’m passionate about the growth of Kansas City,” Browne said. “Projects like the KC Streetcar Main Street extension are important for the continued economic development of the city.”

Browne is also personally excited about UMKC getting a streetcar stop.

“The streetcar, like UMKC, is moving Kansas City forward,” Browne said. “My father was the first director of the engineering program at UMKC, and I have been impressed with the university’s growth over the last two decades.  Having a strong university is critical to the growth of our region, as it impacts the workforce and various businesses. I’m very proud to be a cheerleader for UMKC.”

Parson + Associates

Taylor Rippe (B.B.A. ’19) has worked on KC Streetcar projects for the past six years.

When Rippe was a student at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management, she was selected for the Edward A. Smith Leadership program and was placed at KCATA for a summer internship. She interned for Dick Jarrold, who was a project manager for the Main Street Extension design.

“At the time, I helped take notes in meetings,” Rippe said. “But when I left KCATA in December 2018, I became an intern at Parson + Associates, the firm that handled public engagement and communications during the project design. After graduating, I started working full-time at Parson + Associates and worked with community and key stakeholders as they finalized the design of the project. My team led the communications during the upgrades on main work, which is when KC Water and utilities relocated and upgraded infrastructure in preparation for the streetcar construction.”

Rippe is grateful for UMKC, Professor Doranne Hudson and the Edward A. Smith Leadership Program for providing her with this valuable opportunity.

“I had never considered working in the public realm, but ended up doing so many wonderful things at KCATA, like helping secure a federal grant, that I decided to stay beyond the program,” Rippe said. When I was nearing the end of my second internship with them, KCATA actually connected me with Parson + Associates, allowing me to continue working on projects like KC Streetcar and make real change within my community.”

Rippe is still at Parson + Associates and now works as a subcontractor for Herzog/Stacy Witbeck on the communications team. She helps with business engagement, construction storytelling, resident and business notifications and taking drone photos. 

“I’m so excited for UMKC to have a KC Streetcar stop, I just wish it was there when I was a student,” Rippe said. “Students are going to have such an incredible opportunity to explore Kansas City in a totally new way!”

Herzog Transit Services

Mike Goodman (B.A. '09) is the operations manager at Herzog Transit Services, the company responsible for the daily operations and maintenance of the KC Streetcar. As part of the Main Street extension project, Goodman was involved in hiring and training new operators to ensure a smooth and successful expansion.

“I made Kansas City my home in 2005 and have enjoyed watching it grow and evolve,” Goodman said. “Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to contribute to some unique transit projects that have shaped our city. The KC Streetcar is more than just a way to get around—it’s a catalyst for economic growth that has transformed downtown. Instantly recognizable, it stands out for its commitment to safety, quality service and creative community programs, from vibrant streetcar wraps to onboard events. It’s become a true KC staple, right up there with barbecue and a trip to The K.”

Goodman is excited for students to have the opportunity to explore more of Kansas City with the Main Street extension.

“When I was a student at UMKC, the intersection of 51st and Brookside was where I grabbed lunch with friends over Chinese food or pizza and picked up a hot coffee before class,” Goodman said. “It was a place full of energy and connection. With a UMKC streetcar stop, students will be able to explore even more of Kansas City. They’ll have easy access to everything that makes this city special, creating memories and experiences that will make them fall in love with Kansas City just like I did. And hopefully, like me, they’ll choose to make it home upon graduation.”